Raul Ramirez Diversity in Journalism Internship at KQED

Deadline: Nov. 17, 2023, 5 p.m.

The Department of Journalism at SF State welcomes pitches from journalism majors and minors for a special KQED internship to further the goals of longtime journalist and instructor Raul Ramirez. The internship seeks to promote work that reflects the experience and points of view of diverse individuals.

Raul Ramirez championed diversity in journalism throughout a long and distinguished career.

Ramirez was gay and Latino, at time when neither groups were particularly welcome in mainstream newsrooms. Ramirez rose to become executive editor at KQED, while also teaching classes at San Francisco State and UC-Berkeley. Before that, Ramirez spent 23 years at impactful news organizations including the San Francisco Examiner, Oakland Tribune, Washington Post, Miami Herald and Wall Street Journal. For Ramirez, “Journalism had always been about the power of voices.”

Ramirez died in November of 2013 at age 67, just four months after being diagnosed with esophageal cancer. Before his passing, he gave $25,000 to create the Raul Ramirez Diversity in Journalism Fund at San Francisco State University, which recognizes journalism students whose work promotes diversity. The fund has since grown through contributions from colleagues, friends and family.

Internship Description

The Raul Ramirez Diversity in Journalism Fund is used to support an internship at KQED with the digital news team. The 17-week internship program runs from January through May, two days a week (8 hours a day) at KQED and includes a three-day orientation. A stipend equal to the San Francisco minimum wage will be paid throughout the internship.

The internship would begin by working in the daily news broadcast operation at KQED, after which the student will pitch, develop and execute feature stories affecting an underrepresented community. The project medium is the intern’s choice, but should have an online-first focus. It’s recommended students complete JOUR 300 Reporting prior to the start of the internship.

To receive the internship, a student must be enrolled at least half time as an undergraduate journalism major at San Francisco State University during the academic year in which the award will be disbursed. (Students graduating in December 2023 are eligible to apply.) Recipients must be in good academic standing, as determined by San Francisco State University, at the time they apply and at the time of the internship.

How to Apply

To apply, email (in a single PDF) the following to Amber Wehrer at amberw@sfsu.edu with the subject line: Raul Ramirez Internship by Nov. 17.2023 at 5 p.m.

1. Name, student ID number, expected graduation date
2. A 500-word-or-less pitch for an online journalistic project that highlights and encourages discussion of an issue affecting communities that are under-covered. Include how producing this could impact public perception or public policy. The pitch must show evidence of research to support its feasibility.
3. Links to or clips of previously published work (college publications included).
4. A current resume

Visit the KQED website to learn more and to help you understand the importance of diversity to Raul Ramirez and to this project.

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