Editorial Fellow

Atlantic Media; Washington (District of Columbia); On-site; USD 51,000 - 69,000; Full time

Job summary

The Atlantic is seeking recent college graduates or early-career journalists for a 12-month fellowship based in Washington, DC. The program blends editorial work with tailored learning, mentoring, and opportunities to embed in key departments across Culture, Science, Accountability, Politics, Print, or Audio.

Fellows work five days a week in the office and earn $60,000 annually. The fellowship includes hands-on production, research, copy-editing, and opportunities to pitch ideas, with mentorship

Qualifications

• Excellent writing, editing, and research skills.
• A high level of enthusiasm for working hard and in a collaborative environment.
• Comfort operating in a fast-paced environment, juggling various projects and deadlines.
• Organizational skills and resourcefulness.
• Commitment to accuracy and meticulous attention to detail.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills.
• Keen editorial judgment.
• A genuine love of journalism and belief in The Atlantic’s mission.
• Audio fellow should possess experience with audio editing software; and skill identifying audio clips for distribution on social media.

Responsibilities

• Support editors with fact-checking, research, and transcriptions
• Assist editors with production and layout of stories in The Atlantic’s content management system
• Participate in editorial meetings
• Aid department heads with managing team operational needs
• In consultation with editors, evaluating submissions and/or being the first line of communication on responding to pitches
• Identify and produce book excerpts with oversight from an editor
• Pitching stories
• Taking on research or operations projects as time allows
• Support editors with fact-checking, research, and transcriptions (Audio Fellow)
• Help producers with laying up audio sessions and producing episodes in The Atlantic’s CMS (Audio Fellow)
• Assist producers with booking (Audio Fellow)
• Participate in editorial meetings (Audio Fellow)
• Shadow-editing (Audio Fellow)
• Pitching ideas (Audio Fellow)
• Taking on research or operations projects as time allows (Audio Fellow)
• Participate in fellowship magazine journalism trainings and professional development workshops
• Learn the structure and workflows of The Atlantic’s newsroom, including the pitching process; assignment process; reporting process; and digital and/or print production process
• Receive training on copy-editing, editing, fact-checking, research skills, reporting, audience engagement, social platforms, using The Atlantic’s CMS, standards, and operations to build independence and competency
• Participate in a structured mentorship program with Atlantic senior editors

Skills

Writing skills

Editing skills

Research skills

Communication skills

Editorial judgment

Team collaboration

Attention to detail

Journalism passion

Audio editing software

Video editing

Tools

Audio editing software

Video editing

Job description

The Atlantic is seeking recent college graduates or early-career journalists to join our newsroom in a role that combines editorial work and tailored learning and mentoring opportunities. In this role, the fellow will develop an understanding of The Atlantic’s journalism, as well as the larger American journalism industry. Fellows will also embed in key editorial departments to learn about the inner workings of the newsroom and gain experience working within sections; develop journalism and research skills; support the creation and production of our stories, including research and editing support; participate in professional development opportunities; and be mentored by senior Atlantic staff. Each fellow will be initially assigned to one of the following sections: Culture/Family/Books, Science/Technology/Health, Accountability/National Security, Politics/Global/Ideas, Print, or Audio The fellows will be part of a cohort and managed by the Managing Editor for Operations.

Responsibilities

• Support editors with fact-checking, research, and transcriptions
• Assist editors with production and layout of stories in The Atlantic’s content management system
• Participate in editorial meetings
• Aid department heads with managing team operational needs
• In consultation with editors, evaluating submissions and/or being the first line of communication on responding to pitches
• Identify and produce book excerpts with oversight from an editor
• Pitching stories
• Taking on research or operations projects as time allows

Audio Fellow Responsibilities

• Support editors with fact-checking, research, and transcriptions
• Help producers with laying up audio sessions and producing episodes in The Atlantic’s content management system
• Assist producers with booking
• Participate in editorial meetings
• Aid department heads with managing team operational needs
• Shadow-editing
• Pitching ideas
• Taking on research or operations projects as time allows

Learning Opportunities

• Participate in fellowship magazine journalism trainings and professional development workshops
• Learn the structure and workflows of The Atlantic’s newsroom, including the pitching process; assignment process; reporting process; and digital and/or print production process
• Receive training on copy-editing, editing, fact-checking, research skills, reporting, audience engagement, social platforms, using The Atlantic’s CMS, standards, and operations to build independence and competency
• Participate in a structured mentorship program with Atlantic senior editors

Qualifications

• Excellent writing, editing, and research skills
• A high level of enthusiasm for working hard and in a collaborative environment
• Comfort operating in a fast-paced environment, juggling various projects and deadlines
• Organizational skills and resourcefulness
• Commitment to accuracy and meticulous attention to detail
• Strong verbal and written communication skills
• Keen editorial judgment
• A genuine love of journalism and belief in The Atlantic’s mission
• In addition to the above qualifications, the audio fellow should possess: Experience with audio editing software; and Skill identifying audio clips for distribution on social media. Experience working with music libraries and scoring, as well as video editing skills, are a plus

Employment Type and Location

This is a full-time, benefits-eligible, non‑Guild position lasting approximately 12 months from July 2027-June 2028. This position is based in Washington, D.C., and will be expected to work from the office up to five days a week. The job will at times include night, early-morning, and weekend work.

Compensation

$60,000/year, paid hourly

Application Deadline

Applications are due on November 5, 2026 at 11:59 pm ET.

Equal Opportunity Employer

The Atlantic Monthly Group LLC ("The Atlantic") is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

The Atlantic is committed to diversity and encourages members of traditionally underrepresented communities to apply, including women, LGBTQ people, people of color, and people with disabilities. We do not discriminate against our applicants because of race, color, religion, sex (including gender identity, sexual orientation, and pregnancy), national origin, age, disability, veteran status, genetic information, or any other status protected by applicable law.

Job offers to work at The Atlantic are contingent upon the candidate’s successful completion of reference checks and compliance with The Atlantic's COVID-19 vaccination policy. The Atlantic requires all employees to be vaccinated against COVID-19, including subsequent boosters, and submit proof of vaccination status. Employees who cannot receive the vaccine because of a disability/medical contraindication or sincerely-held religious belief may request an accommodation (e.g., an exemption) to this requirement.

At The Atlantic, our Work Experience is the combination of everything that's unique about us: our culture, our core values, our commitment to advancing ideas that matter and sparking global conversation, but most importantly, it's our people. Our employees are generous, hardworking, curious, trustworthy, humble, and truthful. They live for opportunities to collaborate and make a difference. The Atlantic looks for three “pillar gifts” in you, and everyone else. In all of us, these are more aspirational than actual, but they are central in our intentions.

Spirit of Generosity

The Atlantic seeks in its ranks a spirit of generosity—a natural disposition in each colleague toward service and selfless conduct.

Force of Ideas

At the center of The Atlantic is a belief in the power of ideas. Our highest work is bringing rigor, insight, and honesty to their examination. We endeavor to cultivate new ideas, challenge existing ones, and seek out those that otherwise might go unheard. We do this because ideas have consequences—the power to shape our lives, our work, and the world.

Sense of Belonging

The Atlantic was founded in 1857 as a home for intellectual debate, but also in opposition to the great moral injustice of its time. More than a century and a half later, we continue to believe our purpose is larger than ourselves. At its best, our culture reflects this calling. It is characterized by goodwill and a deep sense of mutual concern. Our goal is not consensus—on the contrary, our best work may be born of spirited exchange and a diversity of views. What brings us together is a commitment to the mission of the Atlantic, to our readers, and to one another.