The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press is a voluntary, unincorporated association of reporters and editors dedicated to protecting the First Amendment interests of the news media. It provides cost-free legal defense and research services to journalists throughout the United States, and also operates the FOI Service Center to assist reporters with federal and state open records and open meetings issues.

Interns at the Reporters Committee follow media reports of significant press issues, do relevant research whenever necessary, report and write on major media law issues for our bi-weekly newsletter and quarterly magazine and help answer our national media hotline. This environment provides an excellent opportunity to hone reporting skills and expand journalistic knowledge.

We also hope that after their experience at the Reporters Committee, our interns become First Amendment and freedom of information advocates. To further this goal, internships include seminars by prominent media and legal experts on press freedom issues, Congressional hearings, U.S. Court of Appeals and Supreme Court arguments and media conferences relevant to the Committee``s work.

Perhaps most importantly, interns substantially contribute to the work of the Reporters Committee: helping reporters overcome legal hurdles in gathering and covering the news. This service plays a vital role in preserving the First Amendment and freedom of information rights of journalists all over the country.

There are three internship sessions each year: Summer (June through August), Fall semester (September to mid-December) and Spring semester (January through May). Interns may receive college credit, and full-time interns receive a $1,000 stipend. In the past, several Reporters Committee interns have been enrolled in Washington study programs sponsored by their colleges or universities and have received academic credit for their work here. Applicants should submit a resume, cover letter, and writing samples (clips and/or a short research paper). A strong background in journalism is preferred.

Applications are accepted anytime on a rolling basis until all positions are filled.

The Reporters Committee is located in Arlington, Virginia, next to the Rosslyn Metro station, just across the Potomac River from Georgetown, and is an easy commute from most places within the metropolitan DC area. For this and many other reasons, we feel that Reporters Committee internships offer journalism students both a literal and intellectual view of the nation``s capital.

Applicants should submit a resume, cover letter, and writing samples (clips and/or a short research paper) to:

Loren Cochran Internship Coordinator The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press 1101 Wilson Blvd., Suite 1100 Arlington, VA 22209

Two types of internship are available:

Journalism internship. This intern, a college student or recent graduate, will cover a broad range of issues, including arrests of journalists, military press pool restrictions and access to prisons and executions.

Legal interns. These internships are not always available, and candidates are considered on a case-by-case basis. A legal intern is usually a law student, or in rare cases a recent law school graduate. Journalism experience is not always necessary, but still preferred, in legal intern candidates.

Contact e-mail: lcochran@rcfp.org