Spring 2026 Editorial Internships

The American Prospect is devoted to promoting informed discourse on public-policy matters from a progressive perspective through narrative interpretation of complex issues. We don’t just make magazines, we make a difference.

The Prospect hosts three classes of interns each year with flexible dates ranging from January to April; May to August; and September to December. Individual work schedules can be adjusted on a case-by-case basis to reflect candidates' coursework schedules. For Spring 2026 applications, the deadline is 11:59 pm Eastern Time on Friday, November 28th, 2025.

Editorial Interns assist with research, fact-checking, social media, data entry and library services for both the print magazine and the daily website. Interns are encouraged to contribute editorially, writing book briefs and articles as assigned, and participating in generating story ideas, as well as pursuing their own projects under the guidance of Prospect staff. We encourage our interns to fully integrate themselves into the Prospect’s editorial operations while taking full advantage of the public events only available in Washington, D.C.

This is the perfect internship for journalism, political science, and economics majors. Juniors, seniors and grad students are encouraged to apply. Full and part time internships available. $17.50 per hour. Positions are remote or in-person at our Washington, D.C., headquarters. 

PLEASE NOTE: This Internship application is DIFFERENT from the Writing Fellowship application. 

How To Apply:

Applications are submitted via Submittable. Your TAP Internship application should include the following:

• Your résumé.
• Three writing samples. Consider clips or posts, academic papers, short reports/essay submitted as coursework, and unpublished pieces. 
• Your cover letter. In your letter, please give your assessment of the current political moment. In addition, your cover letter should express your interest in The American Prospect's journalism OR how an internship with the Prospect would align/advance your personal/career goals.

For Spring 2026 applications, the deadline is 11:59 pm Eastern Time on Friday, November 28th, 2025.

The American Prospect prioritizes attracting diverse talent and cultivating an inclusive environment that encourages collaboration and creativity. All qualified applicants will be considered, regardless of race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, marital status, gender identity or expression, national origin, genetics, age, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other such characteristic. 

Call for Applications: UC Santa Cruz Humanities EXCEL Fellowship with The American Prospect, Winter 2026

We encourage work-study and non-work-study students to apply. This role is only open to undergraduate students with a declared or proposed major or minor in Humanities and requires work authorization. 

Application Deadline: Friday, November 28th, 2025 at 8:59 PM Pacific Time (11:59 PM Eastern Time)

Fellowship Term: January 2026 to May 2026

The UC Santa Cruz Humanities Division and The Humanities Institute are excited to announce an experiential learning opportunity for undergraduates at UC Santa Cruz to work with The American Prospect. The Humanities EXCEL Program connects undergraduate Humanities majors and minors with community partners for paid internships. Fellows gain valuable professional experience while exploring potential career paths.

Hours: Fellows will work 20 hours/week remotely – all work will be conducted online. Fellows will be expected to attend weekly virtual meetings and complete some synchronous work during working hours, 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Eastern Time. 

Compensation: $20/hour

Mentorship:  The UCSC fellow will be supervised by a TAP senior editor and UCSC journalism professor, Jody K. Biehl, who will also provide additional journalism mentorship. The fellow will also be part of the Humanities EXCEL Program cohort, which provides support and professional development during the internship. 

About The American Prospect  

The American Prospect (TAP) magazine and website promote informed discourse on public policy matters from a progressive perspective through a narrative interpretation of complex issues. TAP’s value lies in explaining the power dynamics behind the story and how that power might be shifted to the public’s benefit. American Prospect, Inc., is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation headquartered in Washington, D.C.

The Prospect is dedicated to fostering new talent through its writing fellowship and internship programs. TAP’s alumni list reflects their success, starting with UC Santa Cruz alumnus Ezra Klein, who co-founded Vox with TAP alumnus Matt Yglesias. Other notable TAP alumni include Jamelle Bouie of The New York Times; Josh Marshall of Talking Points Memo; Adam Serwer (The Atlantic); Tara Zahra, a 2015 MacArthur Fellowship recipient; Dana Goldstein and Nick Confessore (both of The New York Times); Kate Sheppard (HuffPost); Nathalie Baptiste (Mother Jones); Richard Just (Washington Post Magazine); Annabelle Williams (The New York Times Fellow); Shera S. Avi-Yonah (Rhodes Scholarship); Alex Rouhandeh (Newsweek); Amelia Pollard (Bloomberg); and many more journalists currently leading in the field.

Position Description: Editorial Fellow

Editorial interns support research, fact-checking, social media, data entry, and library services for the print magazine and the daily website. Interns are encouraged to contribute editorially, write briefs and articles as assigned, generate story ideas, and pursue their own projects with guidance from Prospect staff.

Check out The Humanities Institute’s Undergraduate Profiles on the 2024 Fellow Tommy Balmat and 2025 Fellow Brock Hrehor to gain insight into their experience working with the Prospect.
 

RESPONSIBILITIES AND EXPECTATIONS 

• Fact-checking is your primary responsibility. You will help with research and fact-checking for content, both for the print magazine and the daily website. (30%)
• Social media posting and monitoring channels (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Reddit, and more). (25%)
• Editorial contributions include writing articles and briefs as assigned (30%)
• Handling data entry and library service assignments; working on marketing and event projects; participating in staff meetings and Slack chats to share updates on current tasks and generate story ideas (15%)

Fellows are expected to complete assignments promptly and efficiently, work 20 hours per week, post findings regularly to shared online documents or the project’s research database, meet all assignment-specific deadlines, and contribute in other ways as required. 

WHO YOU ARE 

• You must be a declared or proposed major or minor in a UCSC Humanities Division department and have good academic standing. If proposed, declare by June.
• You have work authorization. 
• You have excellent writing skills (required). 
• You are a self-starter, meaning you’re proactive about figuring out the steps to initiate tasks and take action. (required)
• You can work independently and collaboratively (required)
• You have satisfied the UC Entry Level Writing and Composition requirements (required). 
• You have strong attention to detail and a commitment to accuracy. 
• You’re highly organized, ready to work in a professional office, and able to meet deadlines (required).
• You have experience with social media and/or an interest in learning new platforms. 
• You have taken LIT 160F - How to Write like a Journalist or have previous journalism experience (bonus). 
• You are passionate about political issues and consistently check the news (bonus)

HOW TO APPLY

1. Your updated resume - be sure to highlight any journalism-related work

2. 1-page cover letter, addressed to the American Prospect team, sharing:

• Why are you interested in this role?
• How do your background and skills apply?
• What do you hope to gain from the experience?

3. Writing samples (no more than 3): ideally published journalistic work, but short class assignments or communications work you’ve done will be acceptable.

Review these resume and cover letter resources to ensure you are a strong candidate! For application help, see Humanities Career Engagement.

The deadline to submit materials is Friday, November 28th, 2025 at 8:59 PM Pacific Time (11:59 PM Eastern Time). Once the application window closes, a selection process will be conducted, followed by an interview with the top candidates. An intern will be selected in December 2025. This job is expected to start in early Winter Quarter 2026. 

Apply on Submittable:

Please contact the Humanities EXCEL Program coordinator, Kylie Rachwalski, at hum-experiential-learning@ucsc.edu with any questions.

Thanks to the generosity of Michael Stern, TAP Board Member and UC Santa Cruz volunteer, The Humanities Institute (THI) and UCSC Humanities can offer this annual EXCEL fellowship.