Peace Corps' Public Affairs Internship is within the agency's Press Office, located in the Office of Communications at Peace Corps headquarters.
The Peace Corps sends Americans with a passion for service abroad on behalf of the United States to work with communities and create lasting change. Since President John F. Kennedy established the Peace Corps in 1961, more than 225,000 Americans of all ages have served in 141 countries worldwide.
The mission of the Press Office is to communicate the Peace Corps’ message to national and international media. The Press Office is the principal point of contact for the Agency to the public and the news media both domestically and abroad. The office is responsible for ensuring that the public is informed about Volunteer and agency activities and the priorities and policies of the Peace Corps Director.
The Press Office prepares and issues agency news releases and reviews and approves those written by agency departments. It serves journalists by responding to queries, issuing media advisories and statements, arranging interviews and conducting news conferences. It is also the liaison between the media and Peace Corps Volunteers worldwide. The Press Office ensures that information provided to the news media is current, complete and accurate. It also ensures that all external messages and information released to the public are accurate and reflect the policies of the Agency.
This internship is your chance to:
- See story ideas become reality
- Learn how a press office operates
- Acquire knowledge on a variety of communications positions and activities
Internship responsibilities include:
- Draft press releases for media distribution and the Peace Corps website
- Interview Volunteers worldwide for media profiles and features
- Search, review and archive news clippings on the Peace Corps
- Write articles for Peace Corps Times magazine, which is distributed to all Volunteers
- Assist in pitching stories to regional, national, and specialty media
- Collaborate with Peace Corps' digital strategist to create and publish Volunteer blogs
- Fulfill the requests of media and the public through updating fact sheets, answering inquiries, and other responsibilities
- Assist agency photographer with digital asset management (captioning, keywords, file management) on the Peace Corps Media Library
- Collaborate with agency photographer to research Peace Corps Volunteer photos on Instagram
Qualifications
- Skill in researching, assembling, summarizing, and archiving information for press purposes
- Ability to work independently with little supervision
- Organizational skills with strong attention to detail
- Skill in written and oral communication in order to effectively interact with the public on various levels
- A sincere interest in working with a volunteer organization and professional staff in an international setting
- Must possess strong computer skills and research proficiency
- Preference for students majoring in public affairs, communications, mass media or journalism
- Successful candidates will be subjected to fingerprinting and background check as part of standard U.S. Federal employment hiring procedure.
How to Apply
Interested candidates should send their resume, cover letter and writing sample to [email protected] with the email subject line “Press Office Internship.”