Outlier Media is hiring a TXT OUTLIER intern for a paid summer journalism internship. TXT OUTLIER is a text message service that delivers critical information to Detroiters and allows people to talk directly to a reporter at Outlier Media.
This position offers an undergraduate or graduate student at a college or university in Michigan the opportunity to work in our Detroit newsroom from June 8 to Aug. 28, 2026. Enrollment in the summer semester is not required. This is not a remote position; the intern must work from our Detroit newsroom.
The intern will report to Product Director Kate Abbey-Lambertz and work closely with the editorial team to produce content in coverage areas such as housing, utilities, transportation, local government, policing, development, arts, culture and community.
We welcome applications from college students interested in reporting and audience engagement. In this role, the intern will:
- Monitor and respond to incoming messages from Detroiters using TXT OUTLIER
- Research and conduct background reporting to address texters’ information needs (for example, interviewing state officials about why an assistance program is out of funding)
- Identify issues raised by users that require additional investigation and deserve public attention based on Outlier’s harm matrix
- Conduct accountability reporting on those issues and develop them into stories, newsletter sections and/or social media posts
- Write weekly summaries of notable TXT OUTLIER conversations to distribute internally and externally
- Write service journalism briefs on topics important to Detroiters (for example, how to file a complaint about a landlord or find a food pantry) and package them for web, social, TXT OUTLIER and/or print
- Craft outgoing TXT OUTLIER messages about timely, actionable information as well as Outlier reporting and other offerings
- Assist with tracking TXT OUTLIER analytics to monitor engagement, audience growth, content performance and impact
Key qualifications
Successful candidates will be creative, motivated, deadline-driven and inquisitive self-starters. We are seeking individuals who can contribute fresh ideas to enhance the user experience for Detroiters messaging our newsroom through TXT OUTLIER.
We are especially interested in applicants who have strong skills in writing short, accurate and actionable information for TXT OUTLIER audiences and who are comfortable speaking to and texting community members and other sources by phone. The ideal intern will also be comfortable managing multiple assignments and distilling complex information into clear, concise updates readers can quickly understand on their phones.
In return, the intern will gain hands-on newsroom experience, build a strong portfolio and develop their skills as a journalist.
Important dates:
- April 1, 5 p.m. Eastern time: applications due
- April 6: second-round candidates notified
- April 13: second-round candidate interviews completed
- April 15: offer extended to selected candidate
- June 8: internship begins
- Aug. 28: internship ends
Compensation
The pay rate for this position is $32 per hour for 30 hours per week. Outlier will also offer the intern a $250 professional development stipend to be used during the internship.
Equal opportunity statement
Outlier Media is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We value and celebrate diversity and actively work toward equity. We encourage individuals from marginalized communities to apply.
How to apply
To apply, please send your résumé and cover letter to Product Director Kate Abbey-Lambertz at kate@outliermedia.org by 5 p.m. Eastern time on April 1, 2026. Be sure the documents include three references (name, phone, email) and links to five of your most recent pieces of work (preferably from within the last year) or a link to your personal portfolio website.
About Outlier Media
Outlier Media is a national leader in service journalism design and a local reporting powerhouse in Detroit. Founded in 2016, Outlier has developed methods and products that fill information gaps in low-wealth communities.
We have collaborated with local and national outlets to publish reporting that holds people, government and corporations accountable for neglect or abuses of power. Our work aims to provide Detroiters with information that supports self-determination.
Our reporting is responsive to Detroiters and grounded in the information, accountability and connection gaps identified through surveys and ongoing engagement with residents. Through this work, we are reinvigorating local journalism and strengthening accountability for powerful institutions.
