Chicago Public Media

Events Intern

Chicago, IL (Hybrid workplace)
Internship
$20/hour
Posted Nov 13, 2026

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Skills

Communication
Operations
Project Management
Teamwork
Writing

Job description

About Chicago Public Media

Chicago Public Media is one of the nation’s largest local nonprofit news organizations. Home to WBEZ 91.5FM, the Chicago Sun-Times, and Vocalo. Chicago Public Media reaches more than 3.3 million people weekly across broadcast, print, and digital platforms. As a mission-driven organization, we aspire to be the most trusted news source Chicagoans turn to for understanding the people, events, and ideas shaping our community.

Chicago Public Media is a 100% community-funded newsroom powered by nearly 97,000 members whose support makes our journalism possible. This sustained community investment helped drive nationally recognized work in 2025, including 29 awards from esteemed organizations, including the Public Media Journalists Association, the Edward R. Murrow Awards, and the National Association of Black Journalists.

We believe independent journalism is essential to a healthy democracy and that access to objective, fact-based news is a right for every citizen. We serve the public interest by creating diverse content that informs and enriches our community, supported by a dedicated staff of approximately 250 professionals.

For more information, please see the Chicago Public Media Annual Report .

The Opportunity

We at Chicago Public Media are committed to making a meaningful impact in the nonprofit sector. We believe in nurturing the talents of the next generation, and we are excited to offer an internship opportunity designed to help you develop essential skills for a career in the nonprofit, marketing, community engagement and/or event management sector(s).

Throughout the Events internship, students will work within the Marketing Department to further develop their programming, production and marketing skills. You will assist in the planning, promotion, execution, and implementation of events, including on-site setup and teardown.  If you are a student who is passionate about public programming, live arts and culture events, and the nonprofit sector, we encourage you to apply for this internship. It's a unique opportunity to contribute to a meaningful cause and develop valuable skills.

Responsibilities

•Project Management: You will communicate with venues, external production staff, and various stakeholders during the event planning process. Additional administrative duties as assigned. 

•Drafting, editing, and circulating event overviews, tech sheets, audience communications, and other event-related materials. 

•Drafting and reviewing contracts from various vendors, contractors, and venues as needed. 

•Reviewing event content, marketing materials, and other promotional information.

•Assisting with marketing plans and promotion of live events

•Maintaining Airtable database, video & photo archive, and Google Drive. 

•Assisting with the production of live events, including backstage and front-of-house operations.

Qualifications

•Interest in Nonprofit and/or news Industry: If you have a passion for making a positive difference in the world, this is the place for you.

•1-2 years in event production (theater, live music, virtual, student productions, etc.) 

•1-2 years in a creative role (social media, marketing, programming, booking, etc)

•Basic understanding of event technology (audio, lights, video) 

•Experience with database management (AirTable, Google Drive) 

•Familiarity with contracts and agreements (vendor, presenter, venue, etc.)

•Effective Communication: Both written and oral communication skills are essential. You will draft, edit, and circulate event descriptions, audience communications, and other event-related materials. 

•Flexible schedule, including the ability to work evenings and weekends

Core Competencies  

•Building Collaborative Relationships: Learn how to work effectively within a team and build lasting connections in the nonprofit industry.

•Professional Behavior: Develop essential professional conduct and ethics.

•Results-Driven: See the tangible impact of your work on our mission.

•Customer Orientation: Understand the needs of our target market.

•Flexibility: Adapt to the dynamic and ever-evolving world of marketing and event production. 

We are located at Navy Pier in Chicago, Illinois. All interns must be able to work from our office and studios at Navy Pier in Chicago or at off-site locations as needed. 

A bit about our internship programs:

•Many, but not all, of our interns have completed college or some other form of education and/or certification in the journalism or media field(s).

•Many go on to careers in public media or other outlets. Many have found their way back to WBEZ, too.

•The position is primarily daytime work hours on a Monday through Friday schedule with the occasional need to work evenings and weekends for events. Flexibility in availability is required. 

•This is a remote-hybrid position with the expectation of being at our Navy Pier office two times a week, traditionalyTuesdays & Thursdays. 

•The pay rate is $20/hour for 32 weekly hours.  

•This internship is 25 weeks, beginning January 11, 2026.

What we are looking for our candidates to display in their resumes, cover letters and interview conversations: 

•Knowledge about WBEZ and our mission of serving the community

•Strong interest in learning and contributing to our mission 

•Curiosity and the willingness to learn

•Understanding of the value of bringing together diverse perspectives

•Why WBEZ is part of your career planning in journalism and media

•Specific skills you want to learn during the internship 

•Familiarity with Chicago’s live event landscape and a general knowledge of arts & culture in a major market. 

•Desire to strengthen event production, programming, and marketing skills

•Strong interest in live event production 

•Ability to troubleshoot and think creatively 

•If applicable, any links to a portfolio of writing samples; audio, video, or multimedia packages; or other completed work that may be relevant to this opening

Working at Chicago Public Media

At Chicago Public Media, we care deeply about our employees as we know attracting, developing, and growing talent is key to our success and enhancing our impact.  

Our culture is one where collaboration, diversity of ideas, and innovation are encouraged.  We value colleagues who will enhance our culture by bringing new ideas, divergent experiences, and talents to our dynamic workplace.

At Chicago Public Media we believe dedication to a great workplace includes supporting our employees and their families. As a result, we provide a broad and generous benefits package for employees at hire and in the years to come.

Our benefits include a competitive salary and benefits package which includes medical, dental, vision, vacation, holidays, life insurance, disability coverage, retirement savings, and a commuter benefits plan.

Chicago Public Media is an Equal Opportunity Employer  and we actively seek and welcome people from all backgrounds, orientations, and life experiences to join our team.

The essential functions described above are not all-inclusive and are not intended to create any contractual or other legal commitment. Chicago Public Media may change the content or format of this job at any time in its sole and exclusive discretion without notice.