Photo Intern, HQ (Summer 2027)

politico; Arlington (VA); Hybrid; USD 26,000 - 37,000; Full time

Job summary

POLITICO is seeking an emerging photojournalist for its Summer 2027 photo internship in Arlington, VA. You will work with editors and photographers to support daily news coverage, learn how assignments are created and edited, and develop your visual storytelling skills.

You will gain hands-on experience in photo editing, captioning and metadata, while contributing ideas for innovative coverage during a fast-paced newsroom internship this summer.

Responsibilities

• Support daily photo coverage across POLITICO's newsroom.
• Research, source and edit photography for breaking news and enterprise stories.
• Assist photo editors with assignments, visual research and image selection.
• Photograph news, events, portraits and other assignments alongside POLITICO's staff photographer and photo editors.
• Write and edit accurate captions, credits, alt text and photo metadata.
• Help organize assignments, photo files and other newsroom photography resources.
• Work with reporters and editors to identify opportunities for original photography and visual storytelling.
• Contribute ideas for creative and distinctive approaches to POLITICO's journalism.

Job description

Job Description:

POLITICO is seeking an emerging photojournalist for its Summer 2027 photo internship. This role offers hands-on experience in photojournalism, photo editing and visual storytelling. You'll work closely with POLITICO's photo editors and staff photographer to support daily news coverage while learning how photography is assigned, produced and edited in a fast-paced newsroom.

Who You Are:

• You're passionate about photography, journalism and visual storytelling.
• You have a strong interest in politics and current events.
• You're curious, collaborative and excited to contribute ideas.
• You're eager to learn both the photography and photo-editing sides of a newsroom.

What You'll Do:

• Support daily photo coverage across POLITICO's newsroom.
• Research, source and edit photography for breaking news and enterprise stories.
• Assist photo editors with assignments, visual research and image selection.
• Photograph news, events, portraits and other assignments alongside POLITICO's staff photographer and photo editors.
• Write and edit accurate captions, credits, alt text and photo metadata.
• Help organize assignments, photo files and other newsroom photography resources.
• Work with reporters and editors to identify opportunities for original photography and visual storytelling.
• Contribute ideas for creative and distinctive approaches to POLITICO's journalism.

What You’ll Need:

• Strong passion for journalism, Washington, politics and policy.
• Demonstrated experience in photography or photojournalism.
• A portfolio that demonstrates strong visual storytelling and journalistic instincts.
• Excellent news judgment and attention to detail.
• Ability to work quickly and efficiently under deadline.
• Strong communication, organizational and research skills.
• Familiarity with photo-editing tools such as Adobe Photoshop or Photo Mechanic is a plus.
• Previous newsroom, freelance, student publication or other journalism experience is preferred.

Why Intern at POLITICO?

Work on some of the biggest stories in Washington as they unfold.

Gain hands‑on experience in both photo editing and original photography.

Work closely with experienced photo editors and photographers and receive direct feedback.

Build your skills and portfolio through meaningful newsroom assignments and intern‑specific training.

Internship Details:

• Dates: June-August 2027
• Pay: $23/hr
• Schedule: Hybrid, full-time, 40 hours/week
• Location: Arlington, VA (HQ)
• Application deadline: Monday, October 26 at 11:59 p.m. EST

Submission Materials:

• Resume
• Cover letter
• Portfolio of 12-20 images. Your portfolio should reflect your vision as a photographer. You may submit a variety of images, images from a single photo series, or a combination of both. We want to see your strongest work, whatever you feel that may be. Please attach portfolio samples as PDFs or provide publicly accessible links. Do not submit samples behind a paywall.

About Us.

POLITICO illuminates the forces shaping global power. Since 2007, we have delivered intelligence that anticipates tomorrow's headlines, not reports on yesterday's news. As politics has increasingly become the defining force of our era, our work has never been more vital.

Cabinet secretaries and Ministers start their mornings with our analysis. CEOs shape strategy around our reporting. Advocacy leaders rely on our insights to move policy. We deliver the straightforward facts and clear‑eyed analysis they need to navigate the most complex political landscape of our lifetimes.

Our 1,100+ publishing professionals across the world's key democratic capitals-Washington, Brussels, London, Paris, Berlin, Sacramento, and New York-form the world's premier politics and policy newsroom. We tell the story of how power really works by explaining who wields it and how they plan to exercise it, connecting dots others miss and delivering scoops from sources others don't even know exist.

Innovation has always been a core tenet of our story. At launch, we bet that depth would trump scale, that talent would trump traffic, and that politics would become central to modern life. In 2011, we made another bet and launched POLITICO Pro to help decision‑makers understand the business of government, transforming both how they shape government action and the business of journalism itself.

These bets have made POLITICO the most successful digital news startup of its generation and the indispensable resource for leaders who shape the future. Today, we are a rarity in media: a growing, profitable, and sustainable news organization.

POLITICO is a subsidiary of Axel Springer SE, a family‑owned transat