APPLICATION

ESPN and the AAJA Sports Task Force are offering a joint internship for college sports journalism students with ESPN’s social media team in the summer of 2024. Applications will be submitted to ESPN from the AAJA Sports Task Force.

Working in social media at ESPN is unlike anything else. Each day you’ll be challenged to blend creativity, sports knowledge, and journalistic instincts to produce industry-leading content seen by millions of sports fans. Collaboration, innovation, effort, and fun are at the core of this team and every day is game day.

ESPN is seeking an intern to assist with social media coverage across Instagram, Twitter, TikTok and Facebook. The ideal candidate will be an incredibly avid social media user who is able to thrive in a fast-paced, team environment with an unquenchable thirst for learning.

Applicants must demonstrate a dedication to the AAJA Sports Task Force’s mission to elevate the voices of Asian Americans in sports. The AAJA STF encourages future Asian American sports journalists through mentorship and scholarship opportunities. At times, sports issues lead newscasts and make headlines across traditional news outlets. What is often lacking in this coverage, and sports journalism in general, is the perspective of Asian Americans. This AAJA Sports Task Force scholarship is one way to turn the tide. Find out more about the AAJA Sports Task Force on Facebook or Twitter.

ESPN, Inc. is the leading multinational, multimedia sports entertainment company featuring the broadest portfolio of multimedia sports assets with over 50 business entities. The company is based in Bristol, Conn., with approximately 4,000 employees (approximately 8,000 worldwide).

Questions? Email support@aaja.org.

Apply here by February 15, 2024.

ESPN INTERNSHIP PROGRAM DETAILS
    • The candidate will work a Social Media internship at ESPN
    • Work on site in Bristol, CT at ESPN headquarters. Subsidized housing may be available for those who qualify
    • Approximate dates are June 5 through Aug. 11
    • Interns will work 40 hours per week throughout the internship and must be fully available
    • Interns are paid at a rate of $21.20/hour
    • The selected intern will also receive a $3,500 stipend
    • Programming events hosted throughout the summer including: speaker events with ESPN leaders and networking with recruiters for full-time position
SOCIAL MEDIA INTERNSHIP DESCRIPTION

  •  A Day in the Life:

    • Ideates and crafts posts that are optimized to engage on Instagram, Twitter, TikTok and Facebook.
    • Works with team to discover trending/viral content (often user-generated) and clear for posting
    • Works with social media colleagues to understand the strategy behind posting on ESPN social platforms
    • Learns how to apply news judgment and journalistic standards to the most important sports stories of the day
    • Creates Photoshop images for posting across various social media platforms
    • Clips and edits short video moments for posting across various social media platforms
    • Assists with compiling social analytics recaps and reports
    • Researches new trends and applications of social media to enhance ESPN’s channels 
What You Bring To The Role:
    • Elite knowledge of social media, including a mastery of trends and verbiage on Instagram, Twitter, TikTok and Facebook.
    • Strong writing and copyediting skills in addition to creative thinking and solid news judgment
    • Elite knowledge of all sports including current athletes, rules and events
    • Familiarity with ESPN shows, talent, and digital products
    • Experience with at least one of the following: video editing software (Premiere Pro, Final Cut, Avid or AfterEffects) or photo editing software (Photoshop)
ELIGIBILITY AND QUALIFICATIONS
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
    • Historical knowledge of sports
    • Experience with both video editing software (Premiere Pro, Final Cut, Avid or After Effects) and photo editing software (Photoshop)
    • Familiarity with the sports media landscape, including knowledge of business trends and technologies
    • Demonstrated leadership experience in a professional role, organization or activity
INTERNSHIP ELIGIBILITY
    • Must be enrolled as a junior, senior or graduate student in an accredited U.S.-based college/university taking at least one class in the semester/quarter (spring/fall) prior to participation in the internship program OR graduated within the past 6 months OR currently participating in a Disney Professional Internship. 
    • Minimum 3.0 GPA
    • Must be at least 18 years of age.
    • Must not have completed one year of continual employment on a Disney internship or program.
    • Must possess unrestricted work authorization.
Requirements
    • Resume
    • Cover letter
    • Official transcript
    • References
    • Work samples
    • Current AAJA membership is not required but is strongly encouraged. Student membership will be required for the selected candidate.
Apply here by february 15, 2024

The deadline to apply is February 15, 2024 11:59 p.m. PT. Finalists will be informed in late March, and the intern will be chosen around mid-April.

Please reach out to support@aaja.org and include in the subject line “Sports Task Force / ESPN Internship” if you have any questions.

Scholarship Recipients and Press By Year
Past ESPN/AAJA Sports Task Force Internship Recipients

2021

Paulina JengPaulina Jeng is an experienced video journalist and producer, skilled in both on- and off-camera video content creation as well as audio, digital, and print production. “Earning [the ESPN internship] through a special selection process initiated by the Asian American Journalism Association (AAJA), I had the unique opportunity to integrate myself as a segment producer on our daily Snapchat shows. Outside of my daily work on the Snapchat team, I also gained knowledge about other ESPN operations through rotations with the DTCI, Editing, and ESPN China teams.

2020

Jackson Safon is a student at the University of Southern California studying broadcast and digital journalism. “My internship at ESPN provided me a great opportunity to learn major parts of the television industry and I’m continuing to learn this semester with my internship at The Ringer. […] I received experience in my field of interest while also being able to pick the brains of established professionals across ESPN,” Jackson says. He currently works as a video intern for The Ringer and as a producer/editor for USC Annenberg Media.

Privacy Policy

Application information will only be used internally by AAJA to promote student opportunities and for program evaluation and planning. In the application form, please indicate whether you would like to be notified of further student opportunities from AAJA, including scholarships, grants and additional journalism training. AAJA will only share your application information with appropriate ESPN selection staff.