Location: Remote (preference for candidates in Virginia or nearby for occasional local context)
Compensation: $35 per completed assignment (paid upon approval of high-quality structured notes)
Type: Part-time, paid internship – flexible hours, project-based
About Potomac Local News
Potomac Local News is a hyperlocal journalism outlet covering Prince William and Stafford counties in Virginia, and surrounding communities.
- We deliver independent, in-depth reporting on local government, schools, community events, and public safety.
- We’re seeking a motivated intern to help streamline our coverage of public meetings using an innovative AI-assisted workflow.
Position Overview
- This paid internship focuses on analyzing detailed meeting transcripts (e.g., town halls, county board sessions, school board meetings, police briefings) with Grok (xAI’s AI tool).
- You’ll follow a standardized, iterative process to produce structured, neutral, and factual notes that help our journalists identify story leads, key facts, quotes, and themes.
The role is ideal for students or early-career individuals interested in local journalism, research, AI tools, or content summarization. Assignments vary in length but typically involve 1–3 hours of focused work per transcript.
Key Responsibilities
- Receive assigned meeting transcripts (text files or pasted content).
- Perform the multi-pass workflow using Grok to generate structured notes including overview, key facts/stats (often in tables), speaker summaries, topic breakdowns, contextual insights, and emerging themes.
- Flag any potential story leads, inconsistencies, or areas needing human verification.
- Communicate clearly about progress, questions, or clarifications needed.
Required Qualifications
- Current student (undergraduate or graduate) or recent graduate in journalism, communications, political science, English, data analysis, library/information science, or related field – or demonstrated equivalent experience.
- Strong attention to detail and commitment to accuracy and neutrality.
- Excellent written English skills for producing clear, structured summaries.
- Comfortable working with AI tools (prior experience with Grok, ChatGPT, or similar large language models is a plus but not required – training provided).
- Self-motivated, reliable, and able to meet deadlines independently.
- Interest in local government, public meetings, or community journalism.
- An X and Gmail accounts.
Preferred Skills (Not Required)
- Basic prompt engineering or experience refining AI outputs.
- Familiarity with local Virginia/Prince William County issues.
- Experience summarizing meetings, transcribing, or conducting research.
What You Will Gain
- Hands-on experience with AI-assisted journalism workflows – a growing skill in modern media.
- Deep exposure to Prince William County government, policies, and community issues.
- Portfolio-building material: structured notes that contribute to published stories or video content.
- Mentorship and feedback from experienced local journalists.
- Flexible, remote work that fits around classes or other commitments.
- Potential for increased assignments, rate reviews, or transition to freelance/part-time roles based on performance.
Compensation Details
- $35 per successfully completed and approved assignment.
- Assignments are scoped by transcript/meeting length (e.g., short = 30–60 min meeting; standard = 1–2 hours).
- Payment via E-check, emailed monthly.
- Volume varies (2–10+ assignments per month possible, depending on meeting schedule and your availability).
- Note: This is a paid internship rate aligned with entry-level project-based media/research opportunities; it prioritizes learning and portfolio development.
How to Apply
- Use our online application form.
- We review applications on a rolling basis and aim to onboard quickly. Potomac Local News is an equal opportunity employer committed to diverse voices in local journalism.
- We look forward to hearing from passionate, detail-oriented candidates ready to help elevate hyperlocal reporting!
