TITLE: Journalism and Social Media Intern

LOCATION: Des Moines, IA                   

START DATE: January 2024

DURATION: 10-12 weeks, Minimum of 10 hours per week.

BACKGROUND: Founded in 1933, the International Rescue Committee is a leading, non-sectarian, non-profit organization providing emergency relief, protection, rehabilitation assistance, resettlement services, and advocacy for refugees and victims of oppression or violent conflict.  Domestically, our 29 offices across the U.S. ensure new arrivals have food, shelter, and clothing, and work with refugees to help them gain self-sufficiency.  

The Des Moines, IA office was opened in July of 2022, and our operations expanded to Iowa City with our second office opening in February 2024, together serving more than 500 refugees since opening. The Journalism and Social Media Intern will be responsible for assisting in story capturing and media communications as a part of the Development team. 
 

SCOPE OF INTERN WORK

Under the supervision of the Community Engagement Coordinator, the intern will assist in writing newsletters, website articles, Facebook content creation, and strategic planning of external communications on multiple platforms.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

  • Generate ideas and content for external electronic communications, namely photo, video, and written resources for our content library.
  • Organize with relevant staff for capturing stories both in and out of the office with staff, clients, and volunteers. Possible visits to locations for content collection (photos, videos, interviews) or media support, occurring 1-2 times per month.
  • Work with Community Engagement Coordinator to map and schedule future content for quarterly communications.
  • Follow IRC Brand guidelines and use IRC branded Canva templates, approval of CEC before posting.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES:

  • Gain exposure to interacting with diverse communities, cultures, and backgrounds.
  • Deepen understanding of the unique barriers, challenges, and assets of the refugee and immigrant communities.
  • Develop skills related to building a network of connections and resources in the community.
  • Experience in creation and implementation of strategic, effective community communication strategies.
  • Identifying ways to consolidate information and disseminate it to broad audiences.
  • Learning to create and implement projects intended for digital impact.

REQUIREMENTS:

  • Background in journalism, writing, social media, content creation, etc.
  • Experience and moderate efficiency with Microsoft products.
  • Ability to work efficiently and accurately under multiple demands and frequent interruptions.
  • Strong written and oral communication skills.
  • Interpersonal skills.

This is an unpaid internship position with a small stipend available.

 

How to apply 

Go to https://irc-global.my.salesforce-sites.com/volunteer and complete the application. If you need assistance, do not hesitate to reach out to [email protected]. Once your application is received, a staff member will contact you for a brief interview. You will then receive a link to complete a background check. Finally, you will be contacted to attend a required volunteer training. 

IRC is an Equal Opportunity Employer. IRC considers all applicants based on merit without regard to race, sex, color, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability. 

Commitment to Gender, Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion: The IRC is committed to creating a diverse, inclusive, respectful, and safe work environment where all persons are treated fairly, with dignity and respect. The IRC expressly prohibits and will not tolerate discrimination, harassment, retaliation, or bullying of the IRC persons in any work setting. We aim to increase the representation of women, people that are from country and communities we serve, and people who identify as races and ethnicities that are under-represented in global power structures.

Standard of Professional Conduct:The IRC and the IRC workers must adhere to the values and principles outlined in the IRC Way – our Code of Conduct. These are Integrity, Service, Accountability, and Equality.