Applications are closed for summer 2026.
For our full time, 16-week, fall 2026 internship, apply here!
To outsiders, San Francisco appears media-rich. The San Francisco Chronicle has been publishing since 1865. Others include SFGate, the San Francisco Examiner, and the San Francisco Standard, launched in 2021 by a politically active venture capitalist. Small digital news sites include the San Francisco Public Press, 48 Hills, and others.
But no other San Francisco news organization focuses on critical information for low-income and Black, Latino, and Asian residents — respectively, 5, 15 and 35 percent of the population — like Mission Local.
We provide critical coverage to all San Francisco residents, but we focus on issues that often negatively impact low-income and communities of color to write stories that simply would not be reported on without our site. Three examples will put this claim in sharp relief: our 2020 Covid reporting, which won a semi-finalist Goldsmith award; our 2024 election coverage, which has helped us win national and state “general excellence” awards and aims to reach low-information voters; and our ongoing coverage of public housing, which has also won awards and triggered two public hearings. In 2024, we won general excellence from the Online News Association for the second time in three years.
We began as a UC Berkeley J-School project in 2008 and became independent in 2014. As a nonprofit news site with a strong board, we continue to be a training ground for young reporters who reflect the city’s diversity.
Mission Local is an especially great place for new journalists given its focus on mentorship and on-the-ground training. You also become part of a strong alumni group with former Mission Local reporters at pretty much every major news outlet in America — the Washington Post, the New York Times, NPR, the Los Angeles Times, the San Francisco Chronicle, KQED, CNet, the San Francisco Examiner, and KALW.
For coders and designers, this is a great place to build your portfolio! We have a sophisticated data team, but we are always looking to improve our design and graphics.
How to apply: Fill out our application here. You will need to attach a resume and cover letter.
Questions: Send an email to meg.shutzer@missionlocal.com with the subject line: Internship
Pay: $1000 a week.