“The Office of Press and Communication accepts interns adherent to the fall, spring and summer semester schedule. Interns must be currently enrolled, full-time students in an American university to be considered. A proficiency in French and native speaking/ writing level in English is required. There is a specific application process candidates must undergo to be considered. These positions are very competitive and candidates are encouraged to submit their applications as much in advance as possible.
The Press and Communications Office is now accepting applications for Summer 2017. To learn more about this opportunity, please read the internship description. For any further internship queries, please email info@ambafrance-us.org. To be considered, your complete application must be received no later than March 31, 2017.”
Internship Description
“The Reporting and Communications internship is a writing-intensive work experience within the Press and Communications Office of the Embassy of France to the United States, located in Washington, D.C. The Press and Communications Office publishes News From France, a monthly newsletter of news and trends in the French-American relationship. The publication is distributed to over 10,000 teachers journalists, diplomats, and private citizens. Be sure to read News From France before applying (viewable here). Applicants should have some journalistic writing background and a basic working knowledge of the style guide of the Associated Press, or “AP style.” Interns will also contribute to photo research for News From France. French Dispatch, an email update of French news, is produced weekly. The interns may work with the staff to produce stories and other related content. The embassy’s Twitter and Facebook accounts are also managed by the Press and Communication Office. Interns will research and develop content to be communicated on these accounts on a daily basis. The Press and Communications Office also manages information requests via the embassy’s general email account, info@ambafrance-us.org, and postal mail.
Most of our interns come from the U.S. or France with a background in French, journalism, public relations or communications, political science, or foreign affairs. Please note that the Press and Communications Office can only accept candidates who are enrolled in a university at the time of their internships (applications from candidates who have already graduated cannot be considered).
Qualifications: Conversational French required. Ability to write simple texts and understand complex news stories in French. Ability to research, report and write professional-grade articles in English for the embassy’s newsletter. Excellent general knowledge of the U.S., its policies, and its political system. Excellent general knowledge of France, its history and its current events. Excellent communications and interpersonal skills.
Please send the following as attachments, indicating your name and the semester you are applying for in the title of each document (e.g. Lastname.Firstname – Spring 2017 Cover Letter)
1. Brief cover letter (in French)
2. Resume/Curriculum Vitae (in English)
3. Two journalistic articles of approximately 250-400 words each about contemporary events, culture or politics (also in English). These can be pieces written for courses or other publications, please choose the pieces that best represent your writing style.
We will not review applications that are incomplete or do not adhere to the requirements above. Please specify in your application the semester during which you wish to intern. If you have not received a response from your original application, please follow up with us as appropriate.”
For more information on the internship and the application process, please see the internship description.
Only American candidates, or those candidates studying within an American institution, can apply directly to the embassy’s Office of Press and Communication for an intern position. The procedure for French citizens is different and can be found on the Embassy of France Career Opportunities website.
