Paid internships and jobs @ Mother Jones

Mother Jones, a San Francisco-based progressive publication with a 233,000 circulation, offers year-round paid journalism internships and a one-year internship for recent graduates.

• Internships run four months and pay up to $850 per month. In addition, interns receive 5 days vacation. Interns blog, write stories, fact check, research, code stories in HTML for the website and do other projects. Internships begin during the first week of February, June, and October.
  

• Interns who distinguish themselves are eligible to become fellows. The fellowship requires an additional 4-month commitment, and can be extended to 8 months. Fellows receive a $1,380 per month stipend. Fellows have the same duties as interns but also have more freedom to pursue their own story ideas and work on larger projects.

Applications are due no later than 2 months prior to start date (August 1 for the October cycle).

Great entry-level jobs at NPR

NPR's Kroc Fellowship offers recent graduates the chance to get rigorous, hands-on training in every aspect of public radio journalism — writing, reporting, producing and editing, for both radio and the Web. The year-long program pays over $40,000 and includes benefits and vacation time.

Fellows will work primarily at NPR headquarters in Washington D.C., though each Fellowship will include an assignment to an NPR member station. Applications will be accepted beginning in November but must be postmarked no later than December 31.

Entry-level opinion writer @ U.S.News & World Report

U.S. News & World Report is seeking a 12-month, paid, full-time intern for its Opinion section. The position is based in Washington, D.C.

"The ideal candidate will be detail-oriented, have a firm grasp of current events, be able to manage numerous tasks and projects and have creative flair and initiative. Strong research and writing skills are a must, along with knowledge of the Web."

E-mail resume, cover letter, three references and relevant clips to Mary Lu Meixell at mmeixell@usnews.com by September 30.

Openings @ Alaska newspaper

Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, an 18,000 circulation daily in the heart of Alaska, is seeking an entertainment/features reporter and a copy editor/page designer. Entry-level candidates will be considered.

Star Magazine seeks entry-level reporter

Star Magazine, a 1.4 million-circulation entertainment magazine, is seeking an entry-level reporter to find and report the freshest celebrity news.

"The successful applicant will have a detailed knowledge and love of pop culture, an ability to make and keep sources, a good, snappy writing style, endless enthusiasm and a readiness to work all hours," the ad says. "He/she must be willing to travel at a moment's notice."

Initially, the job will be on a freelance basis.

Entry-level reporter @ suburban Philly paper

The Times Chronicle, an award-winning weekly newspaper in suburban Philadelphia, seeks a full-time entry-level reporter. The position is based in the paper's main office in Fort Washington, Montgomery County. Must have your own, reliable transportation. Candidates should have solid news and feature experience at the college level. Position includes some evening and weekend hours.

Find journalism job recruiters

Two of the biggest challenges in finding your first journalism job are 1) figuring out which media outlets are willing to hire entry-level candidates, and b) making sure your resume gets in the right person's hands.

This may help.

It's a list of recruiters who attended a journalism job fair at a major j-school. All kinds of media outlets are listed: newspapers, magazines, websites, radio and TV stations. Since they were recruiting at a journalism school, chances are they're willing to consider entry-level candidates. Some outlets seem to have sent reporters to the event, but many sent recruiters -- and their names and contact info are listed. The list is from 2007 (2008 wasn't available), so some info may no longer be correct.

Philly weekly seeks reporter

The Northeast Times, a weekly newspaper in Philadelphia, is seeking a reporter to join its news staff. You'll get to "tackle news, features and stories that examine key issues and facets of life in a changing Northeast Philadelphia." The position offers a competitive salary and benefits. The paper is owned by Philadelphia Media Holdings, which also owns the Philadelphia Inquirer and Daily News.

-Mark Grabowski

World's 2nd-largest paper seeks D.C. news assistant

The Asahi Shimbun, a Tokyo-based daily newspaper with a circulation over 8 million, seeks a news assistant for its Washington, D.C. bureau.

"Duties include assisting our Washington-based diplomatic correspondents with articles by conducting thorough background research, attending press briefings, gathering news and views, arranging interviews, and closely following developments in the area of U.S. defense and security, primarily covering the Pentagon," the job advertisement says. "Some administrative support, such as transcribing interviews and other assignments, is also required."

Japanese language is helpful but not required. The position pays about $40,000 along with overtime. It also includes benefits.

Entry-level reporter job near Albany, NY

The Post-Star, a daily newspaper in Glenn Falls, N.Y., with a 35,000 circulation, is seeking a full-time general assignment reporter to work the nigh shift.

"This reporter is responsible for covering all breaking news at night and for covering meetings, events and general-interest topics as directed by the city desk. A mini-beat involving one or more local communities (currently Moreau and Lake George) has traditionally been part of this reporter's duties."

Previous newspaper work experience preferred, but the Post-Star will consider hiring a young journalist with good freelance and/or internship experience.

Entry-level sports reporter @ Jacksonville paper

The Jacksonville Journal Courier sports department is seeking a part-time writer to cover high school and college sports and to assist in the office. "This is an ideal job for a college student, especially someone interested in journalism as a career," the ad says.

-Mark Grabowski

Job market good for young journalists

Despite large layoffs in the traditional media, the job market for journalism graduates has remained largely unchanged, a newly-released survey finds. The employment rate is holding steady, while salaries are increasing in some cases.

The findings, by the University of Georgia's James M. Cox Jr. Center for International Mass Communication Training and Research, include:

• On Oct. 31, 2007, 63.3% of the bachelor's degree recipients had a full-time job, a figure nearly identical to the 2006 report of 64%. Almost all of the 2007 bachelor's degree recipients who looked for work had at least one in-person job interview in the six to eight months after graduation.

• The median salary for 2007 bachelor's degree recipients was $30,000 -- exactly the same as the median salary for 2006 grads. Meanwhile, the median salary for 2007 master's degree recipients was $40,000 -- $2,000 higher than a year earlier.
  

Given the current turmoil of the industry, many analysts consider this good news.

One-year internships available @ Toronto Star

The Toronto Star offers year-long paid internships for graduates under the age of 30, who have never held a full-time, permanent staff position at a Canadian daily newspaper.

"Successful reporting candidates rotate through teams in the city department," according to the Star's website. "Copy editing interns are assigned to at least three different editing desks during the year. The program begins with orientation and there are regular, mandatory seminar days. A demonstrated commitment to journalism is required, either through a combination of formal journalism training and experience, or extensive experience. We will consider candidates with non-traditional qualifications and credentials. The 2007 program includes six reporters, a photographer, two copy editors and graphic artist. This mix can vary from year to year."

-Mark Grabowski

BBC offers trainee program

The BBC Journalism Trainee Scheme offers 21 journalists the chance to spend six months in the British Broadcasting Corporation learning about broadcasting. Paid placements are offered news and sports in the following areas: London, Belfast, Glasgow, Cardiff, Manchester, Cambridge, Leeds, Tonbridge Wells, Norwich and Nottingham.

"We [are] looking for good writers without a professional broadcasting background who could help us reflect our widely differing audiences," the website says. The program is extremely competitive. Last year, the inaugural year of the training program, the BBC received more than 1,400 applications for only 21 spots.

-Mark Grabowski

Reporter openings at Indianapolis Star

The Indianapolis Star, a 260,000 circulation Gannett newspaper, is seeking two community reporters to cover local government, schools and other news. The Star has hired young reporters, including recent college grads, lately, so it's worth a shot.

-Mark Grabowski

Entry-level jobs at Newsweek

Newsweek, a three million circulation weekly news magazine, offers entry level opportunities through its Maynard Parker Fellowship.

Two fellowships are available annually, beginning at staggered dates. Each fellow is assigned to a particular editorial department and is paired with a mentor who will work closely with the fellow to help develop his/her professional journalism skills. The fellowship provides a competitive salary and health benefits. After their year is up, fellows will also be considered for any available open positions.