GRAY MEDIA TRAINING PROGRAM FALL '26 - WILX

Gray Local Media, Inc; Lansing (MI); On-site; USD 17,000 - 21,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Paid internship

Paid training

Job summary

Gray Media, via WILX-TV in Lansing, Michigan, offers a paid internship program that combines real-world assignments across departments with hands-on mentorship. You will work as a producer, MMJ, meteorologist, or media sales trainee, gaining experience across TV and digital platforms.

You’ll commit to 25 hours each week for 10 weeks, developing a portfolio and building skills in journalism, communications, and digital media.

Qualifications

• Currently enrolled in a college/university (Junior or Senior preferred).
• A "doer" mindset: willing to work and take initiative.
• Digital savvy: media happens everywhere from big screen to palm of hand.
• Strong work ethic, urgency, organization, and a can-do attitude.
• Excellent communication skills to tell a story or pitch an idea.

Responsibilities

• Own the role: step into producer, MMJ, meteorologist, or media sales assignments.
• Drive digital engagement: create content for social, streaming, and web stories.
• Collaborate with seasoned pros to gain industry insights.
• Commit to 25 hours per week for 10 weeks to build a portfolio.
• Tell stories that matter to the community or help local businesses grow.
• Position yourself for full-time opportunities within Gray Media’s network.

Skills

Enrolled

Digital savvy

Strong work ethic

Communication skills

Reliability

Team player

Education

College student status

Job description

About Gray Media:

Gray Media, or Gray, is a multimedia company headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, formally known as Gray Television, Inc. The company is the nation's largest owner of top-rated local television stations and digital assets serving 113 television markets that collectively reach approximately 36 percent of US television households. The portfolio includes 77 markets with the top-rated television station and 100 markets with the first and/or second-highest-rated television station, as well as the largest Telemundo Affiliate group with 45 markets totaling nearly 1.5 million Hispanic TV Households. The company also owns Gray Digital Media, a full-service digital agency offering national and local clients digital marketing strategies with the most advanced digital products and services. Gray's additional media properties include video production companies Raycom Sports, Tupelo Media Group, and PowerNation Studios, and studio production facilities Assembly Atlanta and Third Rail Studios.

About WILX:

WILX, the highly rated NBC affiliate located in Lansing, Michigan, for more than 60 years, is on a growth trajectory. WILX currently produces 33 hours of news per week and is growing. A market leader in news, digital, and social media, WILX News 10 is home to Emmy award-winning reporters and the recipient of the Michigan Association of Broadcasters “Station of the Year” award. WILX is a breaking news and weather station, with a strong emphasis on original, local reporting. Our respected main anchors live here and have made WILX their career home. This includes the longest-running sportscaster in the state of Michigan. Our newsroom leadership is known for developing young journalists. Mid-Michigan (Lansing/Jackson area) is a big news market, home to the state capital and Michigan State University. It is a vibrant, diverse, stable area and a great place to live and work. Lansing is just an hour away from Grand Rapids, downtown Detroit, and a day-trip “up north” for some of the most beautiful places in the country. If you love lakes, boating, fishing, camping, beaches, downhill skiing, wine, craft brew, Broadway shows, Big 10 sports, minor-league baseball, NFL/NBA/NHL games…Michigan has it all!

The Training Program:

General Responsibilities:

What You’ll Do:

• Own the role: Step into the shoes of a producer, MMJ, meteorologist, or media sales executive and handle real-world assignments (yes, the kind that may go on air and online).
• Drive digital engagement: Create content that lives beyond the TV screen, think social media, streaming apps, and web stories—because we’re digital-first, always.
• Collaborate with pros: Work side-by-side with seasoned veterans who are the best in the business, gaining insights you won’t find in any textbook.
• Commit to the craft: Dedicate 25 hours per week for 10 weeks to mastering your specialty and building a professional-grade portfolio.
• Make an impact: Tell stories that matter to the community or help local businesses grow through innovative media strategies.
• Build your future: Position yourself at the front of the line for full-time career opportunities within Gray Media’s network of 113 stations.

What You Bring:

• Current enrollment: You’re a college student (Junior or Senior status preferred) chasing a degree in Journalism, Communications, Sales, Marketing, or a related field.
• A "doer" mindset: You aren't afraid to get your hands dirty and take initiative; you’re here to work, not just watch.
• Digital savvy: You understand that media happens everywhere, from the big screen to the palm of someone’s hand.
• Strong work ethic: You bring urgency, organization, and a "can-do" attitude to every shift.
• Communication skills: You can tell a story, pitch an idea, or explain a forecast with clarity and confidence.
• Reliability: You’re ready to commit to the full 10-week program and the 25-hour weekly schedule.
• Passion for local: You care about the community and want to see how local media makes a real difference.

Why You’ll Love It Here:

• Real-world experience: You’ll graduate with more than just a line on your resume; you’ll have the experience of having done the job.
• Unprecedented access: With 113 stations across the U.S., you’re part of a massive, innovative network that’s leading the future of media.
• Career fast-track: We love hiring our own. This program is designed to be the ultimate audition for your first full-time role with Gray.
• Paid training: Earn while you learn. This is a paid internship.
• A culture of innovation: We’re evolving on purpose, and you’ll be right there on the front lines of that evolution.

Qualifications/Requirements:

• Be currently enrolled in a college/university (preferred Junior/Senior)
• Strong work ethic and organizational skills
• Earning a degree in Journalism/Communications, Sales, Marketing, Engineering, News, Sports, or related fields, with a desire to get hands-on experience in the local media industry

If you are interested in interning in these areas, the station may have openings in these departments for you:

• Marketing
• Creative Services
• Sports
• Weather
• News Production
• News MMJ
• Engineering

Ready to stop practicing and start performing? Let’s build the future of media together

The intern rate of pay can range from minimum wage in your state to $15 an hour.

Interested in the program? Go to https://gray.tv/careers#currentopenings, type "Intern WILX" (in search bar)

WILX-TV/Gray Media is a drug-free company

Additional Info:

Gray Media provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, or genetics. In addition to federal law requirements, Gray Media complies with applicable state and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment in every location in which the company has facilities. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training.

Gray Media expressly prohibits any form of workplace harassment based on race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, genetic information, disability, or veteran status. Improper interference with the ability of Gray’s employees to perform their job duties may result in discipline up to and including discharge.