Job Description

Do you enjoy making complex ideas accessible to a more general audience? Do you love the challenge of developing engaging messaging and following through with persuasive writing? Are you interested in issues of digital equity, the open internet, free speech, data privacy, public interest technology, and emerging technology? If you answered yes to any of these questions, New America’s Technology and Democracy programs are interested in hearing from you.

The Technology and Democracy programs seek an enthusiastic, motivated undergraduate or graduate student (or an individual with similar experience) for a full-time communications internship for Summer 2025. You should have a passion for public policy and an interest in developing a career in communications. While we prefer interns to be based in Washington, DC, remote work arrangements will be considered for qualified intern candidates.

New America’s Technology and Democracy programs work together to secure a sustainable digital future that advances equitable opportunity, innovation, fundamental rights, and participatory governance. The programs include:

• the Digital Impact and Governance Initiative (DIGI), which works to catalyze next generation systems and solutions powering public innovation through cross-sector collaboration with government partners, the technology sector, and civil society;
• the Open Technology Institute (OTI), which works at the intersection of technology and policy to ensure that every community has equitable access to digital technology and its benefits;
• Planetary Politics, which works to reimagine a more inclusive, equitable, and sustainable global order;
• Public Interest Technology, which advances the curriculum, practice, and infrastructure needed to grow the public interest technology ecosystem.
• RethinkAI, which is a cross-sector collective of institutions, scholars, and practitioners working to catalyze safe, effective, and equitable artificial intelligence (AI) efforts that transform how local government operates.
• and Wireless Future, part of OTI, which works to promote ubiquitous, fast, and affordable wireless broadband connectivity—including the reallocation of more prime spectrum to facilitate unlicensed access; next generation Wi-Fi; dynamic spectrum sharing; and mobile market competition.

About the Job:

New America’s Technology and Democracy programs are looking for a communications intern to work full-time with our in-house communications team. You will support the Technology and Democracy programs’ efforts to build public discussion around our issues by assisting with collecting and analyzing communications metrics, content creation, social media, events, editing, media relations, rapid response, and more. You will report to the communications director.

Tasks and Responsibilities:

• Update Technology and Democracy programs’ press lists
• Create outreach toolkits for event and publication promotional efforts
• Support the Technology and Democracy programs’s editorial efforts - copyediting, layout, and publishing
• Draft tweets and support planning for the OTI Twitter account as well as Technology and Democracy programs’ Bluesky posts
• Track and archive Technology and Democracy programs’ press/media hits
• Support Technology and Democracy programs’ events through live tweeting and hands-on assistance

You may also have the opportunity to author or co-author blog posts, articles, press releases, or press pitches, as well as the chance to attend educational events.

Required Qualifications:

• Career interest in communications;
• Experience in or an enthusiastic willingness to learn about technology and public policy;
• A self-starter with a positive attitude who can take on projects with minimal supervision;
• Strong written and verbal communications skills;
• Strong organizational skills, and keen attention to detail;
• Interest or experience in social media and website analytics;
• Available to work 40 hours a week.

Additional Skills (a plus, but not required):

• Experience managing an organization’s Twitter account
• Familiarity with Salesforce
• Knowledge of Adobe InDesign & Photoshop

Technological disruption, online discrimination, and the digital divide disproportionately affect the most historically marginalized communities in society, including people of color, women, and LGBTQIA people. New America’s Technology and Democracy programs are committed to centering the needs of these communities in our work, and we strongly encourage applications from people with a diverse array of backgrounds to support this mission.

How to apply:

Submit a resume, a one-page cover letter, and a brief (no more than 3 pages) writing sample. Internships are paid $22/hour. Must be able to work at least 40 hours/week for 10 weeks over the summer. Flexible on start dates. To be considered for this internship, you must include the following in your cover letter: 1) which of Technology and Democracy programs’ issue areas, if any, you’re particularly interested in, 2) where you heard about this job posting, and 3) if you are seeking an in-person or remote internship. Submissions will be considered on a rolling basis.

No phone calls, please.

Originality and Transparency: At New America, we value authentic voices and intellectual property rights. All application materials, including, cover letters, writing samples, and any other submissions, must be solely your own original work. The use of AI text generation tools like ChatGPT, language models, or other artificial intelligence writing assistants is strictly prohibited for any part of your job application. Submissions found to contain AI-generated content will be immediately disqualified from consideration. Applicants have a responsibility to be fully transparent about authorship and any tools or resources utilized. We celebrate human ingenuity and want to hear your genuine thoughts and experiences

New America is an equal opportunity employer committed to hiring a diverse workforce at all levels of the organization thereby creating a culture that allows us to better serve our mission, our employees, and our communities. We value and encourage the contributions of our employees and strive to create an environment where everyone can reach their full potential and drive outstanding results. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, national origin, age, sex, religion, disability, sexual orientation, marital status, veteran status, gender identity or expression, or any other basis protected by local, state, or federal law. This policy applies with regard to all aspects of one’s employment, including hiring, transfer, promotion, compensation, eligibility for benefits, and termination.

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