New York Sun summer "internship"

Anyone here have any experience with the Sun's summer internship?

"The internship is unpaid but interns receive $125 for every article that makes it into the paper, as well as $60 for un-bylined briefs. Last summer's interns made between $1,000 and $4,000. Many of our interns write daily copy, though there is no automatic guarantee that interns will write for the paper. Writing and reporting opportunities will be awarded to those who display initiative and talent. Interns may also be asked to handle other responsibilities, such as helping reporters with research, answering phones, copy-editing, running errands or directing news tips."

I want to know how much to expect and if it's possible to live in NYC with that kind of money. Also, how does the Sun's sports section rank with those in the same range (55,000 circ)?

Thanks

 

This is the only mid-size to major paper, to my knowledge, to treat its interns like freelancers. I guess they would argue that such a pay structure offers to interns incentives to do good work. It's not like interns don't work hard (and don't work well) when they are paid an hourly/weekly wage, though.

And it is not possible to live in NYC on (to take the mid-point) $2,500 over four months. (It is four months, right?) You will be subsidizing the internship out of your own pocket. Which isn't the worst thing in the world, of course, especially because it's NYC, and especially if you have no other internship options.

But...not so great.

 

While $2,500 isn't much, if you had a savings account with like $2,000, you should be fine for the summer. One of the keys obviously would be craiglist, as there are THOUSANDS of open rooms for the summer. Depending on the location of the paper, you could feasibly walk to work, which would be gold.

Advice: Go for it. Who knows when you'll ever get a chance to live inthe city for a summer again. Running up a grand in CC debt would even be worth it. Or you could just get a job on campus now.

 

Living in the city would be pretty awesome. (Unless you already live there, in which case you don't care.)

 

I found this humorous. I haven't looked at the Sun's Web site since it probably started as a publication (I believe it's fairly new). So I go to their sports coverage and click on a game story for a Giants game played at home. Not only did AP staff the game, but when I clicked on the story, the first thing I saw was an ad for the New York Times home delivery. I chuckled to myself.

 

The NY Sun is not a typical daily newspaper. It's not going to be doing beat coverage of sports teams.

Its niche is arts, politics, Jewish issues from a right-of-center perspective.

 

Is it explicitly Jewish-oriented?

 

Whenever some neocons I know want to make a point, they invariably link a story from the Sun . . . a paper that, to my knowledge, has never really broken any story of substance or importance.

Their claim to fame --- as it was --- was being all over the great Air America "scandal" when one of the network's former owners apparently reneged on a deal with some youth organization. The headlines at the time went on the order of "Air America steals from Boys' and Girls' Clubs".

 

It is a little conservative boutique. I believe the NYT handles the Sun's home delivery for them, which is probably why you see NYT ads on the Sun's Web site.

Romenesko linked to a story a few years ago about how the lack of paid internships on NYC magazines kind of limits diversity -- only people living on daddy's coin can afford to be a magazine intern. Maybe the Sun also feels it can get away with this, but it would seem to eliminate a lot of candidates.

 

Doesn't sound very promising, but I would kill to live in the city. At this point, I'm relatively uninspired with this job hunt, so just about anything sounds good...Woe is me.

 

The problem with that city, though, is that a lot of people who live there take that literally.

 

Man, there's not much I wouldn't do to live in New York City...

But, seriously, for your long-term career good, don't ever do an internship with the requirements I've bolded. NEVER.