After a year’s hiatus, the Ida B. Wells Society for Investigative Reporting has selected 11 emerging journalists for its summer internship program.
The interns will be placed in some of the nation’s most prestigious newsrooms as part of the Society’s effort to increase the number of journalists from underrepresented groups who ultimately become investigative journalists.
“This summer marks the return of one of our centerpiece programs, and I cannot be more excited,” said Nikole Hannah-Jones, one of the Society’s co-founders. “This internship puts students to work on investigative desks across the country, giving the Ida B. Wells interns an experience unlike any other program in the country.
“But what also makes this program special is we work really hard to identify talent outside of the typical big-name schools and programs and focus instead on helping bright but often overlooked students gain experience working at the most prominent news organizations in America.”
Past interns have contributed to projects that have won some of the news industry’s most prestigious awards, including the Pulitzer Prize, and have parlayed internships into full-time reporting jobs at news organizations across the country.
This year’s cohort, which spent May 16-19 at an orientation bootcamp in Atlanta, includes:
Hailey Closson, a rising senior at the University of Maryland, who will join the Engagement Team at ProPublica.
Neenma Ebeledike, a first-year graduate student at the University of California at Berkeley, who will intern at the Los Angeles Times.
Ryanne Mena, a 2022 graduate of California State University-Northridge, who will join the Data Team at ProPublica.
Olla Mokhtar, a recent graduate of Tarrant County College, who will intern at the Associated Press.
Anisah Muhammad, a 2020 graduate of Mercer University, who will intern at the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Churchill Ndonwie, a 2023 graduate of Columbia University Journalism School, who will intern at The New York Times.
Tamilore Oshikanlu, a 2024 graduate of Howard University, who will intern at The Washington Post.
Daryl Perry, a 2024 graduate of the University of Maryland, who will intern at the Indianapolis Star.
Daniella Jimenez, a 2024 graduate of American University, who will intern at USA TODAY.
Alecia Taylor, a 2023 graduate of Howard University, who will intern at the Miami Herald.
Kahwit Tela, a first-year graduate student at Georgetown University, who will intern at National Public Radio.
The investigative internship is among various training and mentoring programs offered by the Society since its founding in 2016. The internship program launched in 2021 with seven interns. A year later, 10 interns were placed at news organizations. The program was placed on hold in 2023 as the Society transitioned from the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill to its present home at Morehouse College in Atlanta.
The Society works in cooperation with news organizations to provide internships and underwrites the salaries of interns who spend 10-12 weeks at their respective news sites.
Nearly 200 students and recent graduates applied for this year’s cohort. Society staff and founders review applications and select 25-30 finalists who are then reviewed by editors at the participating news organizations. The newsroom leaders determine which applicants to interview and make final offers. Most finalists have multiple interviews and sometimes get to decide which offer they will accept.
