The Beam: A New Investigative Reporting Newsroom Housed in the Howard Center for Investigative Journalism – ASU Cronkite School
Wage: $18 an hour
Time Type: Part-time (academic credit eligible)
Start and End Dates: Summer 2026 semester (first and last day align with ASU academic calendar)
Expected Hours per Week: 15–18 hours/week (215 total hours over 15 weeks) to meet requirements for JMC/MCO 484 or MCO 584; 8–10 hours/week (125 hours total) for MCO 294. We ask that you work no more than 20 hours per week to protect your academic studies.
Availability: Schedule flexible around student class commitments.
Location: Cronkite School / Howard Center, Downtown Phoenix campus.
Modality: Hybrid (mostly in-person collaboration with some work in the field).
Compensation: Hourly
About Us
The Beam (www.thebeam.org ) is a new statewide accountability reporting initiative housed within the Howard Center for Investigative Journalism at the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication. Supported by the Scripps Howard Foundation, The Beam brings together professional journalists and student reporting interns to produce in-depth, high-impact journalism on issues that matter most to Arizona communities—including education, water, health care, housing, technology, immigration, and business.
Interns work directly alongside professional journalists in residence who are also Professors of Practice, gaining real newsroom experience inside a teaching-hospital environment. These journalists are the same seasoned investigative professionals leading The Beam’s reporting coverage. With a deep commitment to storytelling, innovation and public service, The Beam’s multimedia investigations will be published in partnership with a wide network of newspaper, digital, nonprofit and broadcast news outlets throughout the state.
To learn more about The Beam, read ASU’s press release describing its April 2026 launch. To learn more about the Howard Center and its projects, visit: howardcenter.asu.edu/our-investigations.
Position Description
The Beam is seeking motivated Investigative Reporting Interns, along with Data Journalism Interns to work shoulder-to-shoulder with its team of professional investigative journalists and editors. Interns will support both quick-turn Arizona focused accountability stories and longer-term investigative projects under active development by The Beam’s journalists in residence.
Interns will be immersed in a collaborative, fast-moving newsroom where flexibility, initiative, and creativity are key. One day might involve filing dozens of public records requests; the next could mean traveling to assist in field interviews, verifying data, or helping plan an audience engagement event designed to highlight investigative reporting.
Essential Duties
● Work collaboratively with Beam reporters and editors on investigative story development.
● Contribute to both quick-turn and in-depth accountability projects.
● File, track, and organize public records requests (local, state, and federal).
● Assist with background research, interviews, data entry, and transcription.
● Support fact-checking and verification in coordination with The Beam’s editorial teams.
● Help prepare digital and broadcast story packages for publication.
● Participate in field reporting and source development.
● Contribute to multimedia production and data visualization.
● For data-focused interns: clean, analyze, and visualize data to support investigative storytelling.
● Assist in audience engagement, including social media promotion, events, and innovative distribution efforts.
● Maintain accurate work logs and contribute to regular team meetings.
Qualifications
● Pursuing a bachelor’s or graduate degree through the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at ASU in journalism, sports journalism, digital audiences, mass communication, or related field.
● Undergraduate sophomores through seniors and graduate students are encouraged to apply.
Preferred Skills
None of the following are required, but any would be helpful:
● Familiarity with storytelling across multiple platforms, particularly social media and innovative digital formats.
● Photo and video skills.
● Ability to pivot quickly in an entrepreneurial newsroom setting.
● Curiosity, persistence, and a strong sense of accountability journalism.
● A desire to learn and ability to follow direction and feedback.
● Clear and concise writing; understanding of AP style.
● Spreadsheet proficiency (Google Sheets/Excel). For data track: SQL, R, or Python experience a plus (but not required).
● Understanding of records laws (Arizona Public Records Act, FOIA) a plus.
● Data Visualization tools (Datawrapper, Tableau, Flourish) helpful.
● Comfort collaborating via Slack, Google Drive, and other shared workflow tools.
● Strong communication skills and reliability under tight deadlines.
● Proficiency in more than one language.
Working Environment
This position is based at the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State University’s Downtown Phoenix satellite office at the Arizona Center, where The Beam shares an office with the Knight Center for the Future of News.
Activities are performed in an environmentally controlled office setting subject to extended periods of sitting, keyboarding and manipulating a computer mouse.
Regular activities require ability to quickly change priorities, which may include and/or are subject to resolution of conflicts.
Communicate professionally to perform essential duties
Ability to lift 25 pounds
Application Process
How to apply: Submit application via Google Form by May 3, 2026:
https://forms.gle/XUHHifczvm2UodUX8
Notes for Students
● Internship hours only count between the first and last day of the semester.
● This internship satisfies requirements for MCO 294, JMC/MCO 484, and MCO 584 courses.
● Weekly work logs required through the Cronkite internship course for academic credit.