Editorial and Social Media Intern

The Spectator is looking for an enthusiastic and creatively minded intern to join our growing New York team. 

Founded in 1828, The Spectator is Britain’s most influential magazine, known for its sharp journalism, commentary and coverage of politics, culture and current affairs. In recent years, The Spectator has been growing abroad rapidly, particularly in the United States as it expands its US edition, audience and editorial operation.

As part of that growth, we have opened a new permanent home for The Spectator in Manhattan. The space brings the US editorial team together alongside a podcast studio and dedicated space for talks, debates, parties and other events. It’s an exciting time for the publication in America as we build on our presence across print, digital, video, audio, social media and in-person events. 

We’re looking for an intern who can become a key part of the operation. This is a varied editorial role with a particular focus on social media and digital content. The successful intern will help us turn The Spectator's journalism, podcasts, video, events and marketing campaigns into engaging content for our social channels.

A large part of the role will involve producing social media assets, like graphics and article cards to short-form video clips, so existing familiarity with Adobe Creative Suite (mainly Photoshop and Premiere Pro) is important. You do not need to be an expert, but you should be comfortable with the basics and able to work relatively independently within existing templates and guidance. 

You’ll report to the New York Editorial Manager and occasionally work closely with some of our other colleagues in London and Washington DC. 

What you’ll be doing:

• Editing short-form video clips from our Americano show, interviews and events for Instagram, TikTok, X, and YouTube
• Creating social media assets using Photoshop and existing templates
• Helping manage day-to-day flow of content across The Spectator US’s social channels 
• Identifying strong quotes, moments and clips of the Americano show that are more likely to perform well online 
• Supporting the promotion of articles from the US edition of The Spectator magazine, our Spectator newsletters and other ongoing editorial projects 
• Assisting with events at our New York office, including promotion, guest preparation and some practical support on the day 
• Providing occasional editorial assistance and research 
• Helping keep creative assets, files and social content organized 
• Pitching ideas for new social content and format 
• Generally lending a hand across the New York operation: this is a small team and the role will suit someone happy to get involved in several projects 

• Have a naturally strong interest in media, journalism, politics, culture and current affairs 
• Be comfortable using Adobe Photoshop and Premiere Pro (or an equivalent video-editing software) 
• Have a good understanding of major social platforms and what makes content perform better for each of them 
• Have a great visual eye and an instinct for what will grab attention, while retaining and protecting The Spectator’s tone and brand 
• Be able to write clean, concise copy fit for social media 
• Be organized, reliable and comfortable in juggling several small tasks at once 
• Be comfortable working in a fast-moving editorial environment

Useful, but not essential

Experience with any of the following is not required, but would be a bonus:

• Adobe Illustrator, After Effects or InDesign 
• Video production, filming or photography 
• Social media analytics 
• Canva or other digital design tools 
• Content Management Systems or newsletter platforms 
• Previous experience at a student newspaper, magazine, podcast, publication or social media account 

• Paid internship at $17 per hour, in accordance with New York City’s minimum wage requirements.
• Paid Time Off (Vacation, Sick & Public Holidays)
• Potential opportunity to transition into a full-time role following successful completion of the internship, based on performance and business needs.