The Newsroom
Internship Programs
The Toronto Star offers young journalists three internship programs. Interns work with full-time staff in a challenging but supportive environment. All Star internships are paid, contract positions.
We cannot accommodate volunteers, short-term placements or co-op students.
A driver's licence is required for reporting and photography positions (Radio Room excepted).
The Radio Room
The Radio Room requires strong reporting and phone interview skills and the ability to work quickly and accurately.
Radio room reporters monitor emergency scanners, do police checks, monitor radio and television news and report stories that are often crime or trauma related. In addition to writing for the newspaper, radio room reporters file breaking news stories and updates to the website. Successful candidates also work shifts answering phones and providing support to the newsroom.
The radio room environment is often hectic, so successful candidates must be calm, well-organized, able to juggle several tasks at once; able to persuade sometimes reluctant officials to talk and prepared to interview victims of crimes or accidents, and family members of people killed or hurt in accidents or crimes.
The Radio Room is staffed 24 hours a day, seven days a week by journalism students working eight-hour shifts. Several students are hired in late summer to work part-time during the university year; a second group of students is hired to work through the summer months. The radio room has proven to be excellent preparation for summer reporting programs at the Star and other dailies. Strong news reporting experience at university or community papers is required; reporting experience at a daily is a strong asset.
Summer Program
This is a demanding program because summer reporters and photographers are hired on vacation replacement contracts – meaning that as full-time staff disappear on vacations, summer students are expected to step up to the demands of replacing them.
The 16-week contracts for reporters are all general assignment positions in the city department and successful applicants could be writing features, covering crimes, courts, inquests, breaking news or health and education stories, in other words, anything that’s happening.
The positions are open to college and university level journalism students, (or college and university level journalists) or students who graduate in the year of the summer program they are applying for. Previous experience at a daily newspaper is usually required.
The program begins with a week-long orientation and monthly seminars and volunteer mentors offer additional support.
The newsroom's design department hires either someone with graphics training or design training and experience at a newspaper or magazine (campus papers qualify). Those with design training collaborate with editors, photographers and illustrators to design pages for a variety of sections. Those with graphics training generate maps and business charts and are responsible for all aspects of the process, from research and discussion with other departments to placing the graphic on the page. Interns experienced in programs such as GIS mapping, 3D graphics and Flash web graphics will be able to put those skills to use.
A full summer program typically includes seven reporters, three photographers, seven radio roomers (see above) and someone with either graphics or design training (the positions alternate each year).
Year Long Internship
This one-year program (September to September) is open to graduates under the age of 30, who have never held a full-time, permanent staff position at a Canadian daily newspaper. Occasional exceptions to the age rule will be made for journalism students who are older than 30 when they graduate.
Successful reporting candidates rotate through teams in the city department. Copy editing interns are assigned to at least three different editing desks during the year. The program begins with orientation and there are regular, mandatory seminar days. A demonstrated commitment to journalism is required, either through a combination of formal journalism training and experience, or extensive experience. We will consider candidates with non-traditional qualifications and credentials. The 2007 program includes six reporters, a photographer, two copy editors and graphic artist. This mix can vary from year to year.
Enthusiastic, talented, curious and intelligent journalists with a strong work ethic, a positive attitude and a passion for the profession, who will bring energy, ideas and new perspectives to the paper. Fluency in other languages and experience with different cultural and ethnic communities are assets. A strong portfolio of published work is required.
Reporters:
Photographers:
Artist (Graphics):
Designer:
Each position and program requires a separate application with the exception of summer positions in the Radio Room. Those who apply for reporting jobs in the summer program are automatically considered for the radio room.
APPLICATION DEADLINES:
Radio Room: Summer, 2008: November 16, 2007; Fall, 2008: Friday, August 1.
Summer 2008 reporting, photography, graphics reporter or designer positions: November 16, 2007
Year-long Internship Program, 2008/09: July 11, 2008 for the program starting September 15, 2008
APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS:
Please read the following instructions carefully. We thank all applicants for their interest. If you provide an email address, we will send a standard message that acknowledges receipt of your package. Applications and accompanying materials will not be returned. Once applications are in, we will be in touch only with candidates we would like to interview.
Reporters
Application packages for reporters must include a one-page cover letter, resume, three references (names and contact numbers are sufficient but you may include reference letters if you wish) and a selection of six to 10 published clippings, a mix of news and features. You may include one opinion piece or review or column. If you are fluent in another language or have experience with diverse communities, please include that information in your resume. Applications are reviewed by a panel of two or three editors so we need three complete copies of your package, submitted together in one envelope.
Please send application packages for reporting positions to:
Sharon Burnside
Assistant Managing Editor of Training and Development
Toronto Star Editorial Department, 5th Floor
1 Yonge St.
Toronto, Ont.
M5E 1E6
Copy editors
Application packages for intern copy editors must include a one-page cover letter, resume, three references (names and contact numbers are sufficient but you may include reference letters if you wish) and a selection of your editing work - pages, sections or publications you have produced, headlines and other display copy you have written, published features and news stories you have edited (original stories attached, if possible). If you are fluent in another language, please include that information on your resume. Applicants who are interviewed will also be asked to complete a copy editing test. Applications are reviewed by a panel of two or three editors so we need three complete copies of your package, submitted together in one envelope. Please send application packages for intern copy editing positions to:
Sharon Burnside
Assistant Managing Editor of Training and Development
Toronto Star Editorial Department, 5th Floor
1 Yonge St.
Toronto, Ont.
M5E 1E6
Guidelines for reporting and copy editing candidates
Photographers
Portfolio guidelines*
Please read carefully.
A committee of photographers and editors will review all portfolios. Only candidates chosen for an interview will be contacted.
Please send your portfolio to:
Ken Faught, Photo Editor
Toronto Star Editorial Department, 5th floor,
1 Yonge St.
Toronto, Ont.
M5E 1E6
Design Department – Artist (Graphics )
Candidates should send a resume, cover letter and 10 examples of their work to CKopun@thestar.ca. Work samples may be sent as pdfs, posted on a website or sent as tear sheets to the name and address below. No phone calls, please.
Charlie Kopun,
AME Design
Toronto Star
Editorial Dept. 5th floor,
1 Yonge St.
Toronto, Ont.
M5E 1E6
Design Department - Page Designer
Candidates should send a resume, cover letter and 10 examples of their work to cpike@thestar.ca . Work samples may be sent as pdfs or tear sheets to the name and address below. No phone calls, please.
Catherine Pike,
Art Director
Toronto Star
Editorial Dept. 5th floor,
1 Yonge St.
Toronto, Ont.
M5E 1E6
GENERAL APPLICATIONS
If you are not applying for an internship position, but for a full-time reporting, editing, graphics, design or photography job, please follow the guidelines, above, with one exception:
Copy editors should apply to:
Ed Cassavoy
Senior Editor, News
Toronto Star Editorial Department, 5th Floor
1 Yonge St.
Toronto, Ont.
M5E 1E6
(Three copies of reporting and editing applications are required because they are often forwarded to other editors.)
We cannot return applications or any materials submitted with applications.
If you include an email address, you will receive a standard acknowledgement that we received your package.
If we are able to offer an interview, someone from the paper will be in touch to arrange it.
Those interviewed for copy editing positions will also be asked to complete a copy editing test.