Job Description
Job Description
POLITICO is dedicated to providing accurate, nonpartisan, impactful journalism so our audience is well informed and can work with confidence and speed. The POLITICO Journalism Institute (PJI) is one way we advance that mission and promote diversity by training the next generation of journalists in covering policy, politics in Washington, D.C. and state capitals. The program, now in its 13th year, is a partnership between POLITICO, American University and the Maynard Institute for Journalism Education.
We are now accepting applications for PJI’s 2026 session (May 26 - June 5, 2026). This competitive training program will admit at least 12 undergraduates, graduate students, or recent graduates with a demonstrated interest in journalism through internships and coursework.
Programming for PJI includes interactive sessions, panels with industry leaders, mentor pairings with POLITICO journalists and an opportunity for participants to have their work published by POLITICO. Throughout the program, PJI participants split their time between American University in Washington, D.C., and POLITICO headquarters in Arlington, Va. All costs for attending PJI, including room, board and transportation, are covered by POLITICO.
Applicants who are rising juniors or seniors at accredited four-year colleges or universities will be given preference. Student members of minority journalism associations are encouraged to apply.
To be considered for PJI, you must complete all five components of the application listed below:
Select a story from POLITICO.com that you hypothetically would use as a basis for a follow-up story. Do basic research on the topic, then ‘pitch’ an idea in one or two paragraphs. Consider an angle not addressed in the initial report; then cite the original headline, byline and date of publication in your pitch; and be specific about the point of your follow-up story, including any organization or source you would reach out to. (Do not write the actual story, just write a pitch to demonstrate your news judgment and how well you can communicate your idea.)
Applications are due by 11:59 PM EST on Friday, January 23, 2026.
FAQs On The PJI Application Process
You will receive an initial response to confirm receipt of your application form immediately after you submit it, however your package will not be reviewed until ALL required documents are provided. Required documents include a cover letter (stating why you should be selected), your resume, a 1-2 paragraph story pitch, 3 work samples and one reference letter. Reference letters should be written by a professor, employer or internship, typed on letterhead and submitted as a PDF. You may save and continue to work on your online application. Once all the required documents are submitted, your package will be reviewed by a selection committee. All initial offers will be made by late February or early March, with formal letters to be sent soon thereafter.
Your samples should include journalistic work that has been published by a professional or school news publication. You can include your work from a place of employment, an internship, or a school publication or station. In addition, your work samples should include your name as the writer, reporter or producer, as well as the date of publication. Acceptable work samples include scanned hard-copy news clips, digital stories, video or audio samples, photos or graphics. If you provide links to your digital work, be sure that the links work and that the reviewer will land on (or be able to easily locate) your work using the link. You may also attach PDFs of your work. Note that a link to your entire portfolio is not a substitute for a sample. Use of social media may be mentioned elsewhere on your application as a skill, but tweets and other posts will not be considered acceptable work samples.
It is not necessary nor beneficial to have extra reference letters. However, some applicants choose to ask two references to ensure that they receive at least one letter in time to meet the application deadline. The best strategy is to ask your reference(s) early and be clear about the deadline. We understand applicants have no control over when recommendation letters are completed, but our committee will not review your application until the entire application package is received.
PJI is a 10-day residential program. All participants are expected to stay on campus at American University. Transportation, housing and stipends are provided for meals and other expenses to ensure full participation and full benefits of the program.
If you are selected and agree to participate, POLITICO will arrange and pay for your travel and provide an informational package to help you prepare for the program, which will be held May 26-June 5, 2026. For the duration of the program, you will get top-notch instruction and guidance as you work half-time in a classroom setting, and half-time with mentors in the POLITICO newsroom. You also will meet other journalists from various news organizations in the Washington, D.C., area. In addition, you will attend networking events, a broadcast production and trips to get you behind the scenes to see what it is like to cover news in the nation’s capital. Each participant will have an opportunity to have their work published by POLITICO.
About Us.
POLITICO illuminates the forces shaping global power. Since 2007, we have delivered intelligence that anticipates tomorrow's headlines, not reports on yesterday's news. As politics has increasingly become the defining force of our era, our work has never been more vital.
Cabinet secretaries and Ministers start their mornings with our analysis. CEOs shape strategy around our reporting. Advocacy leaders rely on our insights to move policy. We deliver the straightforward facts and clear-eyed analysis they need to navigate the most complex political landscape of our lifetimes.
Our 1,100+ publishing professionals across the world's key democratic capitals—Washington, Brussels, London, Paris, Berlin, Sacramento, and New York—form the world's premier politics and policy newsroom. We tell the story of how power really works by explaining who wields it and how they plan to exercise it, connecting dots others miss and delivering scoops from sources others don't even know exist.
Innovation has always been a core tenet of our story. At launch, we bet that depth would trump scale, that talent would trump traffic, and that politics would become central to modern life. In 2011, we made another bet and launched POLITICO Pro to help decision-makers understand the business of government, transforming both how they shape government action and the business of journalism itself.
These bets have made POLITICO the most successful digital news startup of its generation and the indispensable resource for leaders who shape the future. Today, we are a rarity in media: a growing, profitable, and sustainable news organization.
POLITICO is a subsidiary of Axel Springer SE, a family-owned transatlantic media company headquartered in Berlin and New York. Axel Springer is dedicated to shaping the future of journalism in the free world, believing that a free and informed society is essential to democracy. The company’s guiding principles - first articulated as The Essentials by founder Axel Springer in the aftermath of World War II - remain a cornerstone of the company’s foundation today. Learn more about Axel Springer.
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Posting date:
2026-01-02
Title
2026 POLITICO Journalism Institute