Communications and Advocacy Internship, Cover Climate Project

Internship – Summer 2021

Public Citizen’s Climate and Energy Program advocates for policies and regulations that address climate change and promote clean and affordable energy for all Americans.

The Cover Climate Project

The Cover Climate Project is an exciting and unique new effort to boost the quality and quantity of reporting on climate change both nationally and in local media.  Current climate coverage by U.S. media does not reflect the urgency or severity of the climate crisis. Through media monitoring, compelling research, dynamic campaigns and a network of distributed local media activists, the Cover Climate Project seeks to change that. The communications and advocacy intern would be an integral part of the project team.

The internship would be a great fit for an environmentally minded communications or journalism major!

Responsibilities include:

• Using social media to promote actions online and boost climate coverage, including regularly posting on our social media platforms. Potential assignments include creating graphics, memes and other social media content relevant to the Cover Climate project.
• Monitoring media for climate related stories.
• Drafting messaging, talking points and other communications on a variety of climate related issues.
• Providing support to local cover climate groups.
• Assisting with administrative tasks, including management of activist database.

Supervision: Intern will be supervised by the Outreach Director. Given the nature of our work, it is important that interns have the ability and the desire to work independently.

Qualifications: Strong research and writing skills; some knowledge of the media industry and social media optimization; and non-profit volunteer or other experience desirable. Interns must be self-starters who are committed to climate action and preferably are activist oriented. Preference to junior year or higher.

Prefer: Experience with Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, and Access), Google drive, and social media platforms. We expect interns to be efficient, responsible workers.

Duration: At least 8 weeks, full- or part-time, to be negotiated on a case-by-case basis.

Location: Our office is on Capitol Hill, about two blocks from the U.S. Capitol, across the street from the Library of Congress, close to the Capitol South Metro station.

Deadline: Rolling until filled. Applicants are encouraged to apply as early as possible.

To Apply:

Public Citizen offers unpaid internships (course credit can be arranged and a small number of paid internships ($15 an hour).  To be considered for a paid internship for Summer 2021, candidates must apply by March 12, 2021, and submit materials listed below.  Our summer internships are typically full time (40 hours a week for around eight weeks), although we have some flexibility as to hours and weeks.  Chosen applicants will be notified by Monday, April 5, 2021.

If you are applying for a paid internship, please include an essay outlining why you want to intern at Public Citizen and any other information about you that you wish to have considered, including your need for financial support (500 words or less). If you have completed the FAFSA, please also submit a copy of your Student Aid Report (SAR).

Send cover letter (including your availability and why you are interested in Public Citizen’s Cover Climate Project); your resume; and a short writing sample to David Arkush managing director of Public Citizen’s Climate Program (darkush(at)citizen.org). Put “cover climate internship” in the subject of your email.