Paid Intern, Democracy Studies & Digital Media

National Endowment for Democracy; Washington (District of Columbia); Hybrid; USD 20,000 - 29,000; Full time

Job summary

National Endowment for Democracy (NED) seeks an Intern for the International Forum for Democratic Studies. The position starts in early January 2027, lasts up to sixteen weeks, and is paid at 17.95 per hour.

Expected weekly hours are 20 to 32, with the internship primarily in person and some remote work; interns must be based in the Washington, DC area. Main duties include event support, digital media production, and research assistance for Forum workstreams and Reagan-Fascell Fellows.

Qualifications

• Current student in or recent graduate of an undergraduate or graduate program in a relevant field of study (e.g., international affairs, political science, history).
• Excellent verbal and written skills in English.
• Familiarity with Microsoft Office products.
• Strong knowledge of audiovisual creation platforms like Canva, Adobe Premiere or other video editing software. Familiarity with commercial AI tools like ChatGPT or Claude.
• Detail-oriented with strong organizational skills, editorial eye, and design sensibility for digital media and communications.
• Ability to manage time effectively, complete tasks with minimal oversight, and communicate clearly and consistently in a professional work environment.
• Interest in democracy support work and democracy studies.

Responsibilities

• Administrative support for Forum events and related NED events.
• Develop digital graphics for social media use.
• Edit event footage and videos for the Forum’s social media, web, and Substack.
• Copy-editing and drafting text for social media and Substack posts.
• Occasional research support for Forum workstreams and for Reagan-Fascell Democracy Fellows.
• Assistance with the development of fellows’ products and presentation materials.
• Additional duties, as required.

Skills

Verbal and written English

Time management

Editorial eye

Digital media savvy

Education

Current student or recent graduate in international affairs / political science / history

Tools

Canva

Adobe Premiere Pro

ChatGPT / Claude AI tools

Microsoft Office

Job description

National Endowment for Democracy (NED) seeks an Intern for the International Forum for Democratic Studies. The position starts in early January 2027, lasts up to sixteen weeks, and is paid at 17.95 per hour.

Expected weekly hours are 20 to 32, with the internship primarily in person and some remote work; interns must be based in the Washington, DC area. Main duties include event support, digital media production, and research assistance for Forum workstreams and Reagan-Fascell Fellows.