Toronto Star internships

The Toronto Star Newsroom Internship Programs

The Toronto Star offers young journalists three internship programs. Interns work with full-time staff in a challenging but supportive environment. All Star internships are paid, contract positions.

We cannot accommodate volunteers, short-term placements or co-op students.

A driver's licence is required for journalist positions (Radio Room excepted).

One-year internship

The Toronto Star is offering a one-year internship program for young journalists.

The program runs from September to September and is open to graduates under the age of 30 who have never held a full-time, permanent staff position at a Canadian daily newspaper.

Successful candidates spend time in a variety of departments including city, sports, living, business and photography. A demonstrated commitment to journalism is required, through a combination of formal journalism training and experience, or extensive experience. We will consider candidates with non-traditional qualifications and credentials. The application deadline is July 8, 2011. The program starts Sept. 12, 2011.

The Radio Room

The Radio Room requires strong reporting and phone interview skills and the ability to work quickly and accurately.

Radio room reporters monitor emergency scanners, do police checks, monitor radio and television news as well as websites and social media. They report stories that are often crime or trauma related. In addition to writing for the newspaper, radio room reporters file breaking news stories and updates to the website in addition to writing for the newspaper.

The radio room environment is often hectic, so successful candidates must be calm, well-organized, able to juggle several tasks at once; able to persuade sometimes reluctant officials to talk and prepared to interview victims of crimes or accidents, and family members of people killed or hurt in accidents or crimes.

The Radio Room is staffed 24 hours a day, seven days a week by post secondary students working eight-hour shifts. Several students are hired in late summer to work part-time during the school year; a second group of students is hired to work through the summer months. The radio room has proven to be excellent preparation for summer programs at the Star, other dailies and websites. Strong news reporting experience at university or community papers or websites is required; reporting experience at a daily is a strong asset. The application deadline is Aug. 5 for the fall/winter 2011/2012 program and Nov. 18, 2011 for the summer 2012 program.

Summer Program

This is a demanding program because summer journalists are hired on vacation replacement contracts - meaning that as full-time staff disappear on vacations, summer interns are expected to step up to the demands of replacing them.

The 12-week contracts for journalists are all general assignment positions and successful applicants could be writing features, covering crimes, courts, inquests, breaking news or health and education stories; in other words, anything that's happening. Summer journalists also shoot photos and must have multimedia skills.

The positions are open to college and university level students (or college and university level journalists) or students who graduate in the year of the summer program they are applying for. Previous experience at a daily newspaper is usually required.

The program begins with orientation. Monthly seminars and volunteer mentors offer additional support. The application deadline is Nov. 18, 2011 for the Summer 2012 program.

Application deadlines:

July 8, 2011 for year-long internship. Program starts Sept. 13, 2011

Radio room fall/winter 2011/2012. Deadline is Aug. 5, 2011. Program begins at the end of August 2011.

Summer 2012. Deadline Nov. 18, 2011.

What we look for

Enthusiastic, talented, curious and intelligent journalists with a strong work ethic, a positive attitude and a passion for the profession, who will bring energy, ideas and new perspectives to the paper. Fluency in other languages and experience with different cultural and ethnic communities are assets. A strong portfolio of published or posted work is required. Photography and multimedia skills are also required.

Packages should contain the following collated material (in this order):

• Cover letter, state position applying for at top of page in bold type. Include email, street address and phone number.
• Resume
• References
• Material

Application should demonstrate:

• A range of writing with a strong component of news stories
• Proven ability to write well, report thoroughly, synthesize and organize information
• Reporting experience outside school assignments and a demonstrated commitment to journalism

• Photography and multimedia experience
• Strong people skills
• Life experience that contributes to your development/ability as a journalist

How to apply

Each position and program requires a separate application with the exception of summer positions in the Radio Room. Those who apply for reporting jobs in the summer program are automatically considered for the radio room.

APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS:
Please read the following instructions carefully. We thank all applicants for their interest. If you provide an email address, we will send a standard message that acknowledges receipt of your package. Applications and accompanying materials will not be returned. Once applications are in, we will be in touch only with candidates we would like to interview.

Application packages for journalists must include a one-page cover letter, resume, three references (names and contact numbers - both home and cellphone plus email addresses are sufficient but you may include reference letters if you wish) and a selection of six to eight published or posted pieces of work, a mix of news and features. If you are fluent in another language or have experience with diverse communities, please include that information in your resume. Applications are reviewed by a panel of two or three editors so we need three complete copies of your package, submitted together in one envelope.

Please send application packages for reporting positions to:

Roger Gillespie
AME, Visuals
Toronto Star Editorial Department, 5th Floor
1 Yonge St.
Toronto, Ont.
M5E 1E6

Guidelines for candidates
Please use letter-size paper for all elements of the package including photocopied or downloaded clippings and photos. Do not use binders, folders, report covers or fancy packaging. Please be aware that applications and extra materials, such as books, CDs or magazines, will not be returned.

Please hold pages together with large paperclips.

Packages should contain complete contact information, including a full mailing address, email address, a phone number and cellphone number, if available. If you are living at a temporary address, please include alternate contact information that will not change for a six-month period (for example, your parents' address and phone numbers).

Our decisions are final, and while we understand the desire for feedback, we cannot provide individual assessments of candidates.