WSJ’s Andrés Martínez on the Journal’s Newsroom Internship Program
Senior Editor for Newsroom Talent Megan Douglass talked to Andrés R. Martínez, senior editor for newsroom internships at The Wall Street Journal, about the internship program, what students should expect and tips for future applicants.
MD: Hi, Andrés. You joined the Journal in April after a long career at Bloomberg News. Tell us about your background and what it was like to switch jobs during the pandemic.
AR: Hi, Megan. I came to the Journal after a 13-year career at Bloomberg News as a reporter, editor and bureau chief. I was lucky enough to report from more than a dozen countries on four continents, interviewing presidents, covering coups and even a bond market default.
I also changed jobs during the pandemic, learning the ins-and-outs of a new workplace virtually. So I understand the challenges and made sure that I helped the interns transition as smoothly as possible when they also had to work remotely. I joined the Journal to lead the internship program because of our commitment to identifying the next generation of journalists.
MD: What was the Journal’s remote internship in summer 2020 like?
AR: We are extremely proud that we were one one of a handful of news organizations that held its internship program remotely. We gave interns the option to work remotely in the summer of 2020 or to defer to a later date. Building on the lessons we had learned from going remote as a newsroom earlier in the year, we created a robust training program, provided for more mentoring and made sure our interns had the support necessary to excel. The experiment was a success. The journalists broke news on some of the summer’s biggest news stories (TikTok and coronavirus), produced long-form narrative podcasts, created eye-catching graphics, wrote engaging magazine features and even had time to write the quintessential Journal A-hed.
MD: What will recruiting be like this fall?
AR: It is unlikely that we will be doing on-campus recruiting for the summer 2021 class. So far, we have attended all the major conferences this summer, including NABJ-NAHJ and AAJA, where we interviewed and met with dozens of candidates. We plan to have recruiters at the remaining major journalism conferences and attend virtual recruiting sessions at universities this fall. Once we review applications, we will set up video calls with finalists for interviews. If you would like to discuss the internship, please reach out to me.
MD: What is The Wall Street Journal looking for in interns?
AR: We are looking for passionate, hungry and curious journalists starting their career who are ready to work in the world’s most influential newsroom. We will treat you like a staff journalist from day one and you will be held to the highest of standards. We are committed to selecting a diverse class of interns who bring different backgrounds, experiences and perspectives into our newsroom. Ideally, you should have one internship to your name already and examples of your work. You don’t need to have a background or expertise in business news. But any experience covering that will help you in your career and we hope you will become as passionate about business journalism as we are.
MD: Can the internships be remote? How many students do you take every year and do you offer them only in the summer?
Our internships are mostly based in our New York City newsroom, with a few in Europe, Washington, D.C., and some West Coast bureaus. We pivoted to remote internships in the summer of 2020 because of the pandemic. Unless there is a public health reason to do so again, we plan to have our interns work in the office where they can best take advantage of the program. Most of our internships are in the summer, but we plan to offer more in the fall and spring to accommodate students. We generally have about 30 students intern each year.
MD: What are you trying to accomplish with the intern program, and what should interns expect to get out of the experience?
Our intern program is the most prestigious in American journalism and has molded future generations of young journalists for decades. We aim to continue preparing the future leaders in our industry, imbuing them with our ethics and values. We are looking for the sharpest, brightest journalists with potential to grow if they spend a summer with us. We want them to come improve their skills, experience working in our newsroom and launch a long and prosperous career. Many of them come back years later with experience that gets them a full-time job in the newsroom. Others have gone on to incredibly successful careers at other news organizations.
MD: Any tips for applicants?
Don’t wait until the last minute to apply. Proofread and double-check all your materials. Then get someone else to proofread, as well. Good luck.
