Journalism intern – 1843

Closing date for applications: Sunday 2nd November 2025 at 11.59pm

Salary: £28,000 per annum, pro-rata

Internship duration: 6 months

Hours: 10am-6pm, Monday to Friday

Location: Based in London with at least 3 office days / week

Start date: 8th December 2025

Uncover captivating stories, sharpen your journalistic skills, and gain invaluable experience in the world of media during this six-month internship with 1843, The Economist's long-reads section.

We are looking for an aspiring journalist to join the team at The Economist’s 1843, named for the year The Economist was founded. We specialise in features and narrative journalism.

The role will teach you how long-form journalism is produced and will include ample fact-checking and administrative responsibilities. There will be opportunities to pitch and write stories for The Economist (some interns have even gone on to work for the paper).

Before submitting your application, please see the 'to apply' section at the bottom of this listing, as it contains important instructions regarding the application task that must be submitted alongside your CV.

Key activities

• Fact-checking and research
• Writing social-media posts
• Suggesting ideas for features
• Assisting in awards applications
• Writing the weekly newsletter
• Attending meetings on behalf of the department
• Administrative tasks

Who we're looking for

• A quick learner who is both curious and entrepreneurial
• Brimming with ideas and keen to learn about every aspect of journalism, from written content to social media
• A voracious reader with a keen eye for detail and a sense of how to tell stories with individuals at the heart
• A record of academic achievement and evidence of strong critical thinking skills.

Further application instructions

As part of your application – alongside a CV and cover letter – please write a short critique (up to a page) of our feature about the first millennial Catholic saint, outlining its strengths and weaknesses. Don’t be afraid of being harsh – we are our own sternest critics, and none of our pieces are perfect.

Please also come up with three ideas for how we could turn news in the headlines into narrative magazine pieces. For instance, we recently published a piece about the rise in cancer rates among young people, told through the experiences of several younger women with breast cancer.

If you are called for an interview, we will also ask you to do a short fact-checking exercise.

Below are a few recent 1843 stories that we’ve particularly enjoyed. The links below are free to read. You can read more 1843 content by registering with The Economist.

• The untold story of Bolsonaro's weird and wild coup attempt
• Would you pass the world's toughest exam?
• Dying for gold: who killed the miners of Buffelsfontein?
• Tyler Cowen, the man who wants to know everything

This opportunity is open to individuals from groups that are under-represented in the creative industries. This includes, but is not limited to, individuals who identify as Black, Asian, or from other ethnically diverse backgrounds, or people of any ethnicity who belong to the following under-represented groups: disabled people, people with the characteristic of gender reassignment, individuals from lower socioeconomic backgrounds, carers and asylum seekers.

The successful candidate for this opportunity will also participate in a Creative Access support programme that sits alongside workplace training. This includes a programme of induction training, monthly masterclasses, wellbeing support, buddying / mentoring and more.