The Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center (Wisconsin ADRC) has agreed to fund an eight-week, full-time summer internship to cover important issues around health, wellness, health equity, aging and more health-related topics for Madison365, the state’s leading news outlet for communities of color.
The first internship will provide a generous full-time wage to a University of Wisconsin-Madison student who is an aspiring journalist for eight weeks during the summer of 2021. Wisconsin ADRC has committed to fund internships for three consecutive summers.
“The past year has made more clear than ever the need for reliable reporting on all topics related to health, wellness and aging,” said Wisconsin ADRC Director Dr. Sanjay Asthana. “Additionally, we’ve known for years that inequities are built into the healthcare system — inequities that must be exposed and explored through excellent journalism. Madison365’s dedication to amplifying voices from underrepresented communities make them the perfect partner to help shed light on these inequities and to offer valuable experience to a young journalist.”
“We made a conscious choice early in 2020 to become the hub of information on COVID-19, and our audience responded,” said Madison365 Publisher and CEO Henry Sanders. “This commitment from Wisconsin ADRC will allow us to continue focusing on critical issues around health, wellness, health equity and aging while also educating young journalists, and we are deeply grateful for the opportunity.”
Any University of Wisconsin-Madison students are eligible to apply, including those scheduled to graduate in the spring of 2021. The most successful applicants will have some reporting experience, either for journalism class projects or for publication. Specific experience in health reporting is not necessary, however.
The internship will involve attendance at weekly editorial staff meetings, developing source relationships, pitching story ideas and covering three to five stories per week as assigned by editors. The intern will also have opportunities to appear on Madison365 podcasts and video shows. The intern will be paid $15 per hour for 40 hours per week for eight weeks.
“We need someone passionate about the community and about community journalism,” Sanders said. “We need you to get into the 365 state of mind.”
Interested students can apply by filling out the form at this link. Applications will close April 15.
