Outdoors Reporting Internship

The Seattle Times a Pulitzer Prize-winning news organization and one of the few remaining independent news organizations in the country is looking to hire an Outdoors reporting intern to lead our coverage of winter sports and the outdoors through early 2026.

Outdoors exploration is a way of life among Washingtonians and many of our readers spend their weekends and vacations enjoying the diversity of outdoors lands that the Pacific Northwest has to offer. From climbing and hiking to skiing snowboarding kayaking sailing mountain biking and mountaineering our readers are an adventurous bunch.

Were looking for an outdoors reporting intern whos equally adventurous both in their outdoor pursuits and in the way they approach the craft of journalism and how they look for stories. Ideally you possess a working understanding of and familiarity with the Pacific Northwests outdoors scene and have an interest in examining how the outdoors beat transcends typical go do stories about hikes to take or places to ski and to dig deeper into how outdoors issues relate to business the environment the economy government public policy equity and social movements.

This is a 13-week internship that will run from Dec. 29 2025 through March 29 2026. It is aimed specifically at college students who are enrolled in four-year colleges and universities in the Pacific Northwest that are on the term / trimester system. The dates of the internship loosely dovetail with most winter term dates of colleges that are on the trimester system.

Schedule : Work schedule will vary based on coverage needs. Some travel and occasional night and weekend work is to be expected.40-hours per week. Based in Seattle.

Responsibilities :

• Keep a finger on the pulse of stories and issues that are trending timely and worth examining as relates to the local outdoors industry outdoor recreation outdoors activities and outdoors lands in the state of Washington. Given the time frame of the internship this reporter would be tasked with working with an editor to direct our winter sports coverage for the 2025-26 season.
• Work the beat and develop a reliable network of diverse and knowledgeable sources within and around the outdoors industry in Seattle and the Pacific Northwest.
• Keep abreast of breaking news on the outdoors beat and be able to file stories quickly on deadline.
• Conceive pitch report and collaborate with photo graphics and video teams within our newsroom to write and produce balanced fair accurate and well-rounded outdoors stories and packages for online and print.
• Work with editors and producers to develop and write timely ambitious and thought-provoking stories about the outdoors industry and various outdoors activities in the greater Puget Sound area.
• Ability to frame stories to appeal to outdoors enthusiasts as well as general readers who may never lace up a hiking boot.
• Demonstrate an understanding of the importance of diversity and inclusivity in our outdoors coverage and constantly be on the lookout for underrepresented sources and diverse viewpoints.
• Use web analytics market research and listening tools like polls and Typeform to identify what our readers want to know about the outdoors and then design coverage to serve those needs. Also look to expand that audience by identifying unmet needs.
• Help guide the digital presentation and dissemination of outdoors stories to ensure they reach the broadest audience.
• Work with editors to help determine strategy for our outdoors coverage.

Qualifications

We are committed to diversity and creating an inclusive newsroom and encourage members of traditionally underrepresented communities to apply. If your profile doesnt match this job description exactly you may still be a candidate for this position. Please let us know how your skills and experience relate to the role and its objectives in your cover letter.

Application Instructions

Compensation : The pay for this position is $21.30 per hour.

Benefits :

Please do not follow up about your application. We will notify all applicants about our decision after the deadline which may take up to six weeks. For application assistance only send questions to emailprotected . Requests for updates will not be answered.

Founded in 1896 The Seattle Times continues its tradition as a family-owned Pulitzer Prize-winning newspaper that cuts through the clutter and provides readers with timely relevant news. We serve the Pacific Northwest with thoughtful independent journalism that makes a real difference in our community. And as a media solutions company we combine cutting-edge digital capabilities and service with the values and integrity of respected traditional media with an established audience of 1.9 million. At The Seattle Times youll find work that matters.

If you need assistance to accommodate a disability please contact Human Resources at and provide a description of the reasonable accommodation(s) needed.

Required Experience :

Intern

Key Skills

Economics,Access Control System,B2C,Drafting,Informatica,Events & Exhibitions

Employment Type : Intern

Experience : years

Vacancy : 1