Forum Intern

KQED Inc.; Francisco (IN); Hybrid; USD 26,000 - 29,000; Part time

Job summary

KQED Inc. in California is offering a paid internship to work 16 hours/week from Jan 19, 2027 to Jun 25, 2027, with an hourly rate of $19.61. Interns will help put together a live, fast-paced show, including research, interviews, social posts and production support, while learning newsroom workflow.

Hybrid work between KQED's headquarters and remote work, with opportunities to gain hands-on experience in radio show production and journalism.

Qualifications

• Solid writing and communication skills.
• Reliability and professional demeanor.
• Some prior journalism experience is desired but not required.
• Familiarity with Bay Area, California, national and international current events.

Responsibilities

• Research program topics and offer show ideas.
• Conduct preliminary phone interviews with potential guests.
• Provide production assistance before, during and after live broadcasts.
• Create web pages and social media posts.
• Perform routine administrative tasks.

Skills

Writing skills

Communication skills

Reliability

Job description

Deadline to apply for KQED Internships is Friday, October 30, 2026. Please state which internship(s) you are applying for in your cover letter and apply to each internship individually.

This is a paid internship, working 16 hours per week from Tuesday, January 19, 2027, through Friday, June 25, 2027. The current hourly rate is $19.61 per hour.

KQED is one of the largest news producers and newsrooms in California. One of our flagship shows is “Forum,” two hours of daily conversation and news co-hosted by Alexis Madrigal and Mina Kim. In this internship, you’ll help put together a live, fast-paced show, ranging from expert panels on the latest news, to one-on-one interviews with authors, musicians, artists and other engaging voices. Duties involve pitching show ideas, in-depth research, comment compilation and moderation during the live show, answering phones, pre-interviewing guests, posting to social media, audio editing, working very closely with producers and eventually producing a few of your own shows!

While fast-paced, we have a friendly, convivial team and look forward to giving the next generation of journalists a peek into the world of radio show production.

KQED envisions a public media organization with a culture that centers on human dignity, equity, and belonging. This will enable us to better serve and reflect the Bay Area through diverse and inclusive storytelling.

We value the contributions of marginalized people in society — including Black, Indigenous, and all people of color, people with disabilities, and LGBTQIA+ people — and we believe that these communities must be centered in the work we do, and we strongly encourage members of these communities to apply.

The mission that drives us:

KQED provides citizens of Northern California with a community-supported alternative to commercial media. We provide citizens with the knowledge they need to make informed decisions; convene community dialogue; bring the arts to everyone and engage audiences to share their stories. We help students and teachers thrive in 21st-century classrooms, and take people of all ages on journeys of exploration- exposing them to new people, places and ideas.

This role will work hybrid between working in KQED’s newly renovated headquarters and working remotely.

Essential Functions:

• Research program topics and offer show ideas
• Conduct preliminary phone interviews with potential guests
• Provide production assistance before, during and after live broadcasts
• Create web pages and social media posts
• Perform routine administrative tasks

Knowledge/Experience Required:

• Solid writing and communication skills
• Reliability and professional demeanor

Knowledge/Experience Desired:

• Some prior journalism experience is desired but not required.
• Strong interest in the news and a familiarity with Bay Area, California, national and international current events.

Growth & Development Opportunities:

• Forum interns can expect to learn what it takes to produce a fast-paced daily public radio talk show
• Interns will be given real-world, hands-on responsibilities and get training in news writing, interviewing, research and basic audio editing