News Reporter Intern

The Wisconsin State Journal, a division of Lee Enterprises, is seeking a news intern to help cover the growing, diverse communities in and around Madison during the summer of 2026.

Madison is a rapidly changing community, and the newsroom works hard to shine a light on residents and news stories in all neighborhoods. Our journalists watch over how taxpayer money is spent and how public officials represent their constituents, and cover issues that affect people's lives.

As a general assignment intern, you'll assist these reporters in research and information gathering, write news stories and cover events that give readers a taste of Madison. You'll have the chance to help cover breaking news, learn from seasoned reporters and editors and gain invaluable experience.

Candidates should be enrolled in college and working toward a journalism degree. Experience at a college newspaper is strongly preferred. Qualified candidates must be able to write clearly and concisely, translate complicated information into stories of broad interest, and represent the paper with tact and professionalism. Excellent spelling and grammar skills and a demonstrated ability to communicate effectively are required. Must have access to a vehicle. The internship will be full-time, June through August. Times and days of work vary but may include late evenings and weekends.

As part of your online application, please attach a cover letter and five samples of your work or links to five recent stories. If you've done video work, please also include links to three recent videos.

The deadline to apply is Monday, Nov. 16, 2025.

Why Join Us?

Lee Enterprises offers competitive wages in a dynamic, interesting work environment with career growth opportunities. We offer an extensive benefit program that can be personalized to your needs. Our benefit program includes medical, dental, vision, short and long-term disability, company provided life insurance and supplemental life insurance. In addition, we offer a 401K retirement plan with company match. We also offer generous paid time off to allow the flexibility to balance personal life and work. This includes paid parental leave for new parents.

Lee Enterprises is a major subscription and advertising platform and a leading provider of local news and information, with daily newspapers, rapidly growing digital products and nearly 350 weekly and specialty publications serving 72 markets in 25 states. Our core commitment is to provide valuable, intensely local news and information to the communities we serve.

Lee Enterprises is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We respect and celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. For more information about Lee, check us out at www.lee.net .

We are focused on building a diverse and inclusive workforce. If you are excited about this role but do not meet 100% of the qualifications above, we encourage you to apply.

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