UK Football Student Intern, Summer 2025 (London)

About Us

The Athletic is a digital sports media company that brings true sports fans closer to the athletes, teams and leagues that captivate their attention. We serve a multi-faceted audience that craves a richer connection and understanding with immersive storytelling and a like-minded community of fans. Founded in 2016 and with major operational hubs in San Francisco, Los Angeles, London and Melbourne, we empower a truly global team of more than 600 creators and cover more than 250 professional sports and collegiate teams across the United States, Canada and the UK. Our newsroom has produced thousands of in-depth reports along with more than 120 podcasts and other forms of premium content. Put simply, The Athletic is at the center of a sports fan’s universe.

About the Role

The Athletic is accepting applications for its Leon H. Carter newsroom internship, a 12-week program based in London, which will run from May to August 2025. The intern will be embedded on our editorial team, which will expose the intern to every facet of the newsroom. The mission of The Athletic’s internship program is to attract and develop the industry’s next stars. Throughout the summer, the intern will experience the beating heart of our newsroom and be supported to sample all the aspects of what we do, with regular feedback sessions to ensure the intern gets the maximum out of their time with The Athletic. The intern will help shape our most informative coverage while helping to advance our goal to be the top destination for sports news around the world. This is a paid internship. 

Leon H. Carter is the Editor at Large at The Athletic. Prior to joining The Athletic in 2021, he was a VP at ESPN. He also worked 15 years at the NY Daily News. Under his leadership, the NYDN won numerous national awards. In 1993, he helped create the Sports Journalism Institute to improve diversity at media outlets. In 2022, he received the Red Smith Award, one of the highest honors in sports journalism.

This position is based in London and would require office attendance for the majority of the internship.

The rate of pay for this role is £13.49 GBP per hour. 

The application deadline is 8 November 2024.

Responsibilities

Experience, in full, what The Athletic’s industry-leading global football/soccer department produces and become a full part of the team. Assigned an editor throughout the internship and a ‘buddy’ - a reporter who can provide a point of reference throughout. Time within each department - news, data, audio, subbing, socials and others - to discover where your true passion lies. Expectation to produce published work regularly within the internship. Assigned time ‘out in the field’ alongside reporters. Learn and understand the editing process - what an editor looks for in a piece. Go through pieces with editors and sub editors from idea to publishing. Learn the importance of legal requirements, rights of reply, to investigations and in-depth reads.

Requirements

Currently an undergraduate or a recent postgraduate student looking to break into the sports journalism industry. 18 years of age or older. Ability to work a 30-40 hour work week, including evenings and weekends when required. Flexibility: ability to adapt to fast-paced work environments where needs and priorities can change quickly. A can-do attitude with a determination to succeed and welcome constructive feedback throughout the internship. A tenacity to break a story, land an interview, work with the rest of The Athletic’s substantial staff - and provide original, thought-provoking ideas. Deep knowledge of and a passion for sports. A willingness to work as part of a team. This position is based in London and would require office attendance for the majority of the internship.

Application Directions

Attach a resume. Provide an essay between 500-700 words explaining why you should be considered by The Athletic for this internship, including but not limited to your main sport of interest. Attach 2 letters of recommendation. Provide a portfolio of at least 5 relevant samples showcasing strong journalism skills, ideally on sport.

The Athletic offers unique perks and benefits to all full-time employees based on their country of residence. Our comprehensive US benefits package includes:

- Highly competitive, employer-contributed medical, dental, vision, basic life and disability insurance plans.

- Savings accounts for medical, wellness, and childcare expenses.

- 401k retirement savings plan and employer match.

- Paid time off including paid sick leave, 12 paid holidays, 15 days of accrued vacation to start, and up to 20 weeks of Paid Parental Leave.

For international candidates: Our global benefits packages offer similar benefits and perks, competitive to the local market.

The Athletic Media Company is an equal opportunity employer and enthusiastically encourages people from all backgrounds and experiences to apply. The Athletic will consider all applicants without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, ancestry, physical and/or mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, marital status, sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression, transgender status, age, sexual orientation, military or veteran status, or any other protected characteristic under applicable law.

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