POLITICO Magazine Editorial Internship

This semester-long internship in Spring 2025, focused on leveraging rigorous research, exclusive reporting, and the highest editorial standards to translate complex national security, economic, and cultural dynamics into policy-relevant narratives. Working within one of the country's leading journalistic ecosystems, under the guidance of top editors and expert desks, the role directly informed national political discourse and explored critical strategic shifts in modern communication and media influence.

Project Overview

From January to May 2025, I managed a demanding, part-time editorial internship at POLITICO Magazine while taking classes at American University. This dual commitment situated me directly within the nexus of high-stakes national political shifts, and global trends. The core challenge was to make opaque government data and complex political movements relevant and accessible to a broad, influential audience within a journalistic ecosystem that sets the benchmark for excellence.

Operational Scope

Operating within a rigorous, deadline-driven newsroom environment, I was fully integrated into the content lifecycle from ideation and pitching to final production. Under the close mentorship of Senior Politics Editor Charlie Mahtesian and Terisa Wiltz, I internalized core tenet of elite journalism analysis. I learned to balance analytical depth with editorial brevity, ensuring maximum impact while adhering to stringent AP and internal style guides (reinforced by editorial tech tools).

I concurrently managed the end-to-end CMS production for over 50 analytical pieces, overseeing rigorous research retrieval, intense fact-checking (a core, essential component of every POLITICO piece), and media deployment.

My Impact and Role

I independently pitched, researched, and authored high-level features for national newsletters that included original, exclusive reporting. My published pieces included “How Europe Is Quietly Stealing America’s Scientists” (Politico Nightly, Apr 2025), an investigation that featured an exclusive interview with a U.S. scientist whose NIH funding had been cut, and “The Battle Brewing Over Abortion in Wisconsin” (Politico Women Rule, Mar 2025), which offered an exclusive, data-driven analysis of how state-level legal dynamics were driving the national conversation on women's politics. Under the close mentorship of Senior Politics Editor Charlie Mahtesian and Assistant Editor Teresa Wiltz, I received direct training in political analysis, navigate the nuances of D.C. journalism, and uphold POLITICO's rigorous standards of accuracy and integrity in fast-paced reporting.

Journalistic Contribution

My work directly contributed to clearer, data-driven commentary within the POLITICO ecosystem, upholding the organization's high standards of accuracy and integrity. The integration of robust quantitative data streamlined the production workflow for my editorial leads, while my original research resulted in two high-impact published cover stories in major newsletters. These pieces provided data-driven narratives that reached a broad audience of policymakers, academics, and engaged citizens. Managed the end-to-end CMS production for over 50 analytical pieces, overseeing rigorous research retrieval and intense fact-checking. My original research and reporting were featured in newsletters that reached a combined estimated audience of over 200,000 national subscribers, directly contributing to clearer, data-driven commentary within the POLITICO ecosystem.