Reporter (ACE Summer Internship)

The Great Central Gazette is an independent, not-for-profit newspaper in Leicester, written by and for local people. We are a co-operative, a model where members get to vote on how the business is run.

Since launching in March 2023, The Gazette has become a trusted source of high-quality journalism, covering politics, the environment, arts and culture, history, and more.

Our commitment to impactful journalism goes beyond just reporting the news. We take pride in our investigations and solutions-focused reporting, delving deep into issues that matter most to our community.

The role

We seek someone keen to pursue a local or investigative journalism career with an early track record to demonstrate this. You will have a passion for public interest journalism and covering underreported local stories to the highest standards of quality and accuracy. You will be expected to build up local contacts and develop topic areas of expertise.

You will:

• Pitch and regularly publish thorough and original local journalism, particularly impactful journalism that holds power to account, engages readers and contributes to public debate
• Subedit and proof articles before publication
• Work collaboratively with other members of the editorial team on joint articles and reporting
• Assist colleagues with journalism research
• Contribute to the general strategic development and operational work of The Gazette
• Help build a public, professional profile and represent The Gazette in community and industry forums.

Hours of work

• 18.5 hours per week paid at £10.90 an hour
• Hours and days of the week can be agreed upon at the internship's start.

Work location

This internship follows a hybrid model, meaning you must work part on-site in Leicester and part remotely.

Eligibility criteria

• Must be a De Montfort University undergraduate student (open to all four faculty students)
• Must be able to complete the internship within the agreed timescales
• Must have attended one of the ACE Internships briefing sessions. If you have not attended one, then you cannot apply. If you cannot attend any of the currently available sessions, please email aceinternships@dmu.ac.uk and let the team know.

The start date for this internship is the week commencing 17 June 2024. It ends on Friday, 26 July 2024. Due to the nature of the scheme, these dates are non-negotiable.

Application

As the ACE Internship scheme is run in partnership with De Montfort University, the application process for this role differs from how we usually recruit for work experience and other internships.

Please follow these steps:

1. Have you attended an ACE Internship briefing session? If the answer is yes, continue to step 2 – if no, please book one of the sessions by clicking here.
2. Please send a CV and cover letter to aceinternships@dmu.ac.uk with ACE24002 – Reporting Intern in the subject line. Please do not send The Gazette applications directly.
3. Do not send a blank email. Ensure a professional message is written in the body of the email.
4. Send your CV and cover letter as an attachment, not a shared drive document such as a Google, OneDrive, or other cloud file.
5. Each document should be named appropriately. Send documents together in one email.
6. If applying for more than one internship, please state clearly which is your 1^st choice, which is your 2^nd choice, and so on. Please send a separate email for each application. You can only apply for a maximum of three roles.
7. Please note this role will close as soon as sufficient applications have been submitted. To avoid disappointment, please apply early.