Deutsche Welle International Journalism Traineeship 2023 for Journalists – Germany (Fully Funded)

Application Deadline: November 29, 2021

The DW traineeship is one of the most prestigious journalism training programs in Germany and beyond, and gives you the skills needed to become a successful multimedia reporter and editor. The 18-month, bilingual journalism traineeship gets underway January 1, 2023, at DW’s broadcasting centers in Bonn and Berlin.

DW trainees receive a salary and gain hands-on experience in TV, online, and radio with a combination of practical training blocks and newsroom placements.

Trainees also explore journalism trends of the future, ranging from digital storytelling to data journalism and virtual reality.

In addition, various journalism projects give you the chance to develop your own innovative content. Trainees also benefit from DW’s close ties with Major German and international media houses.

We are looking for creative minds who reflect the language and cultural diversity and who have something to say.

Your challenges

• native speaker of one of DW’s languages with excellent English and good German language skills, or native English speaker with good German language skills, or native German speaker with excellent English language skills
• completed university degree, college degree or apprenticeship
  (especially with a background in technology/IT, science, politics, economics or law)
• initial journalistic experience
• creative mind
• social media expertise
• ability to work under deadlines and as part of a team

Requirements:

1. Language skills

For the bilingual (German-English) traineeship DW has certain language requirements:

•  Native speakers of a DW program language (list of the languages below) with excellent knowledge of English and a good knowledge of German
•  English native speakers with a good knowledge of German
• German native speakers with excellent knowledge of English

Good language skills in German are equivalent to a B1/B2 level, according to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages

Excellent language skills in English are equivalent to a C1/C2 level, according to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages

We don’t ask the applicants to prove their language proficiency during the online application via certificates, but we ask you to honestly evaluate your personal language skills. Of course, we would be happy to receive your language certificates, but it is not mandatory. During the assessment center the exercises will be conducted in German as well as English. Journalists from language departments will test if you are proficient in other languages. The final interview will also be conducted in German and English.

The DW program languages

Albanian, Amharic, Arabic, Bengali, Bosnian, Bulgarian, Chinese, Croatian, Dari, English, French, German, Greek, Hausa, Hindi, Indonesian, Kiswahili, Macedonian, Pashto, Persian, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Russian, Serbian, Spanish, Turkish, Ukrainian, Urdu

2. Qualifications

To apply, you will need to have completed a university/college degree, an apprenticeship or have graduated from a journalism school prior to the start of the traineeship. All applicants are required to include certificates of their qualifications (in digital form). You should have a graduation certificate from April 2021 or earlier.

The DW Traineeship offers

• acquisition of journalism skills
• seminars on all relevant journalism topics, conducted by renowned trainers
• placements with various DW editorial departments in Bonn and Berlin as well as in one of DW foreign bureaus in Brussels, Washington or Moscow
• introduction to producing your own content for TV, radio or online formats, from generating ideas to technical production
• placements in Germany, Europe and worldwide
• technical know-how for TV, radio and online
• Trainee’s salary
• after traineeship completion, prospect of ongoing contract working for DW worldwide

Your benefits

• working in an international environment
• taking part in a dynamic team
• putting your innovative ideas into practice

Deutsche Welle’s traineeship takes you around the world, not in 80 days but in 18 months. Internships with DW’s English and German editorial departments give you a chance to look into economic and cultural issues as well as news, science and sports. You’ll also be active in at least one of DW’s other broadcast language departments, such as the Chinese, Farsi or Spanish, and support them according to your personal language skills. Regardless of the language you’re working in, you’ll be part of the editorial teams right from day one, writing and producing reports, conducting interviews for television, radio and online reports. 

The practice-oriented seminars are the core of our training. They cover everything from interview techniques and live reports to data-driven journalism and mobile reporting.  By the end of the traineeship you’ll be an expert in multimedia storytelling.

For More Information:

Visit the Official Webpage of the Deutsche Welle International Journalism Traineeship 2023