The Women's Institute for Freedom of the Press is a non-profit research, education and publishing organization. We are dedicated to stimulating and sharing new ideas and perspectives on restructuring the communications system. We believe that such changes are a prerequisite to full democracy.

WIFP operates with no paid staff. The Director of WIFP currently has part-time employment which allows her to carry on her life's work with the Institute. Our network of Associates are all independent and are spread throughout the world.

The internships at WIFP are also unpaid, but we will help the intern meet academic requirements. Internships can be for any length of time, or period of the year.

Interns usually spend four hours for two days in the office (currently Monday and Wednesday, 10 am - 2 pm) for a total of eight hours a week. The rest of the time interns work from home or the library. They also have opportunities to attend press conferences, luncheons, meetings and various other functions on Capitol Hill and around the city. The number of hours a week beyond the eight hours is worked out individually according to the needs of the intern.

Interns work on projects mutually agreeable to both the intern and the Institute.

Intern projects can include, but are not limited to:

• writing (women & media related)
• editing (such as the Directory of Women's Media; and the print issue of Voices for Media Democracy)
• computer/online specialist (particularly in relation to our website and publication production)
• archival work (such as categorizing historic women's papers for research)
• public relations (creative ways to share our work with others)
• fundraising, grant writing
• projects the intern brings to our organization or that grow out of the experience here.

It is usual for interns to share in a number of these projects rather than focus on only one. All interns have an opportunity to attend meetings, conferences, press conferences, briefings, and activities that relate to WIFP.

WIFP is a support network for media women, and women concerned about media, who believe that the world's communication systems must be based on the fundamental principle that people should be able to speak for themselves. WIFP interns gain an understanding of the impact of mass media and issues relating to media democracy and media justice. They also gain a thorough knowledge about the women's media movement.

Interns need to be self-motivated and operate well without a great deal of supervision. The number of interns at one time varies from one to six. We receive the most intern requests during the summer months, therefore must be particularly selective during that period.

To apply for an internship with WIFP, write the Director, Dr. Martha Allen, at 1940 Calvert Street, NW, Washington, DC 20009-1502 or send an email. Tell about yourself, include your resume, and explain the reasons you are interested in an internship with WIFP. What attracts you to participate in the internship program of our particular organization? After examining our web site, what aspects of the WIFP approach and media philosophy particularly resonate with you? Please touch on these in your cover letter rather than sending us a generic internship request letter. Concern for issues relating to media democracy and extending women's voices are the overriding prerequisite for an internship with WIFP. We very much look forward to hearing from you.