National Review

***FINALIST APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS: All applicants are required to submit a resume (one page), statement of interest (one page), and two references by the application deadline. If selected as a finalist, applicants to this host organization may be required to submit the following additional materials directly to the host organization after the application deadline: 

• Writing Sample
  • Please send one or two writing samples that, if possible, are similar to the kinds of things we publish. If different samples show different abilities (e.g., a book review and a piece of policy analysis; a legal argument and a piece of reporting; etc.), please give us a sense of your range.

LOCATION: New York, NY

FORMAT: Our office is able to host an IN-PERSON intern.

TIME ZONE: Eastern

WORKING HOURS: The intern needs to keep approximately the same business hours as the office, but these hours are not strictly defined. I.e., there is no precise clocking in and clocking out, but we expect the intern to be at work during the workday, as we understand that.

INDUSTRY: Communications / Journalism

ABOUT US: National Review is a journal of opinion, analysis, criticism, commentary, and reporting from a conservative perspective.

RESPONSIBILITIES & PROJECTS: The intern will primarily be a writer of blog posts and occasional articles and may also edit some articles if interested.

SPECIAL SKILLS: Must write well. Ideally will have experience writing for campus or professional publications.

WORK ENVIRONMENT: It is a small office with a number of other writers and editors as well as business and administrative staff. It is low-key and friendly.

EQUIPMENT & SOFTWARE: The intern should know how to use a computer and Microsoft Word. The intern will benefit from having a personal laptop but this is not a strict requirement.

2021 Intern Reflection: 

Working at National Review has been an incredibly educational experience on the inner workings of opinion journalism. When I applied for the position, most of my experience with writing had been in the classroom or in analytical pieces, so the opinion side of political conversations has been new for me. I've been challenged to write pieces that I have actual stake in, and it has helped me develop my unique voice as a writer. Each morning, I get to attend our editorial meetings, where the staff for National Review Online discusses current events and pitches articles for the day. The writers at NR have encouraged me to feel like I can be an authoritative voice on issues I'm knowledgeable about, and I have learned a lot from them. An even more important lesson I've gained from National Review is that there are a vast amount of differing perspectives, even within a single umbrella of viewpoints. National Review is a magazine that focuses on the conservative conversation in politics, but the amount of respectful discourse and discussion that occurs every day was eye-opening. I learned what I agree with others on as well as what I don't, and I learned how to take those perspectives to my writing. My opportunity to work with National Review has helped me become a better writer, but it has also shown me a lot about my own beliefs, and for that I am grateful.

- Scott Wright

2020 Intern Reflection:

The office culture is quite relaxed — we have a meeting every morning with the NRO director, during which the writers pitch their pieces for the day. Every other Monday, we have an editorial meeting with senior magazine writers, during which we review editorial pieces from the last fortnight and pitch new ideas for "The Week," a biweekly analysis of world events. We interns usually write 2 or 3 pieces a week, of which some are longer (700+ words, but my longest was over 2,000) and of which some are shorter — these go on "The Corner." We also write biweekly paragraphs on current events for The Week. In addition to writing drafts, we go through rounds of editing and review changes. We also proofread others' works at times. Lastly, there are opportunities to do specialized research. For example, I did hours of COVID-19 research for Rich Lowry as he prepared to write a large piece about the media's coverage of the virus a few weeks ago.

Aside from work, the interns tend to stick together on Slack, and I've enjoyed getting to know senior writers and editors in one-on-one conversations.

- Dmitri Solzhenitsyn '23

2019 Intern Reflection:

I could not have asked for more from my internship at National Review. They offered me a platform, journalistic freedom, and a network of incredible collaborators – it was up to me how I would choose to use them. There was no coddling, bureaucracy, or unnecessary administrative tasks. At the beginning each day, I phoned into pitch my stories alongside some of the nation’s best conservative columnists. I then set about writing, reaching out for advice if I needed it. They expect interns to arrive with ideas and ready to put them on paper, but are more than happy if those ideas outside of their status quo. I’ve written an equal number of columns criticizing the American conservative movement as I have criticizing the left – and that’s been encouraged, not condemned. National Review contains incredible intellectual diversity, and working at such an established publication has granted me an incredible level access into the journalistic world. If you seize the opportunity, there’s an incredible amount to be gained.

Sahil Handa '21

2018 Intern Reflection: 

This is the best journalism internship anyone could hope for. At most publications, an intern might spend most of his time completing dry writing assignments, riffling through archives, and proofreading writers' pieces. National Review, on the other hand, gets its interns writing from day one. I was astonished at how much we are able to write, and on how many different subjects. What the editors want are adventuresome and intrepid young writers who are eager to learn by doing. No one is going to hold your hand; you just have to dive in. 

That is not to say that the editors won't care what you do. Another excellent feature is that they are willing to work with you to refine your ideas and your mode of expressing them. They're happy to lend their knowledge and their experience to help a mere intern. This is the place for anyone who wants to learn intelligent, vigorous conservative journalism.

Liam Warner '20

2017 Intern Reflection: 

My time at National Review has been one of intellect, candor, and learning. Prior to interning here, I had no experience in journalism yet that never once stopped me of NR’s staff from believing in my ability to succeed in this realm of public service. Each day, I woke up happy to start another day at NR. From our daily morning conference meetings where we’d pitch article ideas that we were passionate about, to unforgettable lunches and conversations with other interns and employees; from editing other pieces and learning things you’ve never conceptualized to speaking with authors, lawyers, advocates, and whoever else works or is invited to NR on a weekly basis, this experience has been nothing short of amazing.

A bit quieter about my political opinions on Harvard’s campus, NR’s environment encouraged me to speak more candidly about the things that I believed in. I spent my summer writing pieces on free campus speech, abortion, welfare, Black Lives Matter, immigration, and President Trump’s tweets. The experience I’ve gained and the skills that I’ve learned have not only made me a better writer, editor, and intellectual, but have also bolstered my love for journalism and the efforts that go into the dissemination of political news. After these eight weeks, I’ve felt much more equipped to talk about politics and public policy and more confident in my opinions.

The best part of my time here has been reflecting on my own advancements and being proud to have come such a long way in such a short amount of time. The attitude here, as expressed by a member of the NR staff, is that “th[is] internship is supposed to be educational” and that we are “writing, being published, and learning” and should be proud of that. I would whole-heartedly recommend this internship for anyone that is either passionate about writing in politics or has no experience and would like to try something new. If you have a voice and want it heard, take the time to apply to not only work in the field of journalism, but learn from some of the incredible interns and employees that NR hires, just as I did this summer.

Sapna Rampersaud '19