Communications Internship

About the job
Would you like to learn how to handle social media and communications at a news publication? Apply for a paid three-month communications internship with GroundUp.

You will need to be familiar with modern word processing software like Office or Google Suite, and social media platforms (Instagram, Facebook, Bluesky, etc.).

You should also be comfortable speaking on the phone, and able to express yourself clearly and professionally verbally and in writing.

A journalism background is not required, but you should be willing to learn about journalism ethics and principles. You will learn the ins and outs of our organisation, why we do what we do, and how we do it. This will help you learn the “voice” of GroundUp.

This full-time internship is office-based. Our office is in Rondebosch, Cape Town.

Skills needed

A degree or diploma in marketing, journalism, social media, communications, or similar
Comfortable using most popular social media tools
Good written and verbal communication
Confident speaking on the phone
Able to do basic internet research and problem-solving
Can work under pressure and meet deadlines
Comfortable with office software (e.g. Microsoft Office or Google Suite)
Able to do basic design (e.g. using Canva, Figma, Gimp and/or Photoshop)

Core tasks

Assist the communications officer with daily tasks, which may include the following:
Respond to emails from readers
Deal with people on the telephone
Edit and upload to the questions and answers section of our website
Deal with NGOs whose work is relevant to us
Compile and send GroundUp’s weekly newsletter
Upload to and engage on our social media pages
Turn selected articles into Instagram picture posts, or similar on other platforms
Moderate comments and letters to the editor

This is a three-month internship starting on 1 May 2025. Remuneration: R15,000 per month.

Please apply by filling out this Google Form by 23:59:59 on 21 March 2025: https://forms.gle/zJZQ668sDMXu9brm7