Social Media Intern, Fall 2026

About The Role

This is a hands-on execution seat on our social team. You will not be shadowing someone or fetching things. You will be publishing to real accounts with a real audience, every day.

We are looking for someone to help us execute our organic social strategy across X, LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, and Reddit: turning the day’s reporting into platform-native content, cutting clips from our podcasts and video, monitoring and replying in the comments, and reporting on what worked. You will sit inside our editorial workflows, including a standing seat on the weekly editorial call, so you know what is coming and why it matters.

Political media moves fast and unpredictably. The best social work here happens when someone recognizes a moment and acts on it in the next twenty minutes. That is the instinct we are hiring for.

What You'll Do

Publish daily across platforms. Schedule and post the day’s pieces, newsletters, podcasts, and videos across X, LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, and Reddit.

Make platform-native content. Pull quote cards, carousels, stories, and clips from Dispatch reporting, analysis, and podcasts. Adapt the same story differently for each platform rather than cross-posting.

Cut clips. Review podcast and video episodes, flag the moments worth clipping, and produce them for social.

Own community engagement. Monitor comments, DMs, and replies. Surface audience questions and recurring themes back to editorial. Build our presence in relevant Reddit communities.

Report weekly. Track platform metrics, identify what performed and why, and bring that back to the team.

Bring ideas. Three to five new format, platform, or content ideas each week. We will actually try them.

What We're Looking For

Currently enrolled in an undergraduate or graduate program, or a recent graduate

At least one year running social for something other than a personal account: a club, a campus publication, a campaign, a small business, an internship

Fluency with how each platform actually behaves, and a real point of view on what performs where

An eye for the quote, clip, or framing that will travel

An understanding of The Dispatch and its role in the new media ecosystem

Basic comfort with graphic design or video editing tools, or the willingness to get there quickly

Genuine interest in politics and policy, and enough news literacy to know when something matters

Comfort working independently and moving fast when a story breaks

What You’ll Get Out of It

You will leave with a portfolio of work on accounts people actually read, direct experience across five platforms, and a real understanding of how a subscription news business grows. You will work directly with our editors, reporters, and growth team.

We are building out our social function, and this internship is a genuine pipeline into it. If you are excellent, we want to keep you.

Location and Schedule

This is a paid, part-time internship running approximately September 8 through December 18, 2026, at 15 to 20 hours per week. Hours are flexible and scheduled around your classes and other commitments.

The role is remote. We have an office in Washington, D.C., and if you happen to be in the area you are more than welcome to work from it.

How to Apply

Click Apply and submit the following:

1. Resume. 

2. Links to social accounts or content you have run. Handles, channels, individual posts, or a portfolio link. We want to see the actual work.  If you do not have links to share, just write N/A.

3. Cover letter. In addition to telling us about your experience, please address the following: Briefly, in your own words, what do you believe The Dispatch’s unique value proposition to be? Then pick one of our social accounts and tell us what you think is working, what is not, and what you would do differently in first few weeks.