Special Intern Programs

Business Journalism

Students following the Business Journalism sequence must take the required courses for the journalism major plus two specialized courses: Reporting on Business and Reporting on the Economy. They must also take at least six classes in the Williams School of Commerce. These include Economics 100 and Introduction to Accounting as well as four upper level classes in Accounting, Management or Economics. One of these classes must have an international focus.

Each summer, up to seven paid internships in Business Journalism are available to W&L Journalism majors, thanks to a grant from the Donald W. Reynolds Foundation. Students majoring in Business Journalism must have an internship in this field, but other Journalism majors are welcome to seek these opportunities as well. Internships in business reporting give you valuable experience covering an important and timely topic and are useful preparation for a variety of journalism fields.

The stipends for these positions can be up to $700/week for up to 10 weeks.

There are two ways to obtain a Reynolds Business Journalism internship:

  1. You may apply in the fall for the positions established just for W&L students by the Journalism Department. The locations change from year to year, but have included: The Charlotte Observer, Dow-Jones Newswire in New York City, The Richmond Times-Dispatch and weekly publications of the American City Business Journals in cities such as Nashville, Austin, Philadelphia, etc. All Journalism majors will be notified of the opportunities in October and must submit a resume, cover letter and clips by the stated deadline. Prospective employers review the applications and, if they are interested in you, will follow up with a phone interview. Some will make campus visits. Most make selections by the end of December; but they are not obligated to take any W&L student if they don't see someone they think is a good match.
  2. You are also welcome to find Business Journalism internships on your own and, if it is unpaid, request Reynolds support for the position. There is no deadline for this option, but you may receive support only if the position is approved by Pam Luecke and Alecia Swasy - and if all of the available Reynolds money has not been used. We encourage you to talk with us in advance about this route.