Building careers, expanding newsrooms, strengthening communities.
New Mexico Local News Fellowships & Internships
From Classroom to Newsroom: Empowering Future Journalists Across New Mexico
The New Mexico Local News Fellowships and Internships program provides career development experiences for journalism students and graduates from New Mexico public universities. Operated by the Communication & Journalism Department at the University of New Mexico, the program recruits and selects emerging journalists and matches them with mentors in local newsrooms. We give newsrooms enough money to pay competitive salaries to their fellows and interns. The program creates a powerful classroom-to-career pathway for a diverse selection of students, increases the capacity of local news organizations, encourages innovation, and strengthens democracy. Support for the program comes from the New Mexico Local News Fund, the New Mexico Department of Workforce Solutions, and other donors and supporters.
Meet the 2025–2026 cohort
This year we fielded the largest and most geographically diverse cohort of Local News Fellows and Interns yet! For the 2025–2026 cycle, eight fellows and 11 interns were placed across the state, bringing fresh perspectives and energy to newsrooms in Albuquerque, Las Cruces, Silver City and beyond. These talented journalists will expand local coverage and help shape the future of journalism in New Mexico.
Support the Program
Join the New Mexico Local News Fund in empowering local newsrooms and nurturing the next generation of journalists. Your support ensures that communities across the state have access to vital, trustworthy information.
What People Are Saying
“This fellowship is the perfect opportunity for freshly graduated journalism majors to get real-world experience. These past eight months have been the most memorable in my career so far. I covered protests, the pandemic and everything in between. I was able to sharpen my writing, data, photo and investigative reporting skills thanks to this opportunity and the wonderful people at the Albuquerque Journal. If you're considering a career in journalism, I highly recommend this fellowship.”
— Fellow Anthony Jackson, Albuquerque Journal
“Six months ago, I had a journalism degree and no clue how or if I wanted to use it. Now I have a contract and a full-time job that I love. I'm also finally putting my degree to some good use, and starting an actual career in journalism!”
— Fellow Brianna Wilson, KOB-TV
“KOB was honored to help kick off this unique and exciting program. It helps New Mexico media outlets to find and develop new talent, and it helps new talent find the opportunity to grow and learn in a hands-on way that no internship can match. We were so happy with our fellow that we ended up hiring her full-time when the fellowship ended.”
