Toronto Life Editorial Internship Programs
Toronto Life is accepting applications from college students and graduates for four internships that run concurrently within the editorial department of the magazine. Graduates of our intern program have gone on to become acclaimed writers and editors at publications throughout Canada and the U.S.
Interns are involved in many aspects of the production of Toronto Life. They receive practical experience in the use of publishing software and participate in research, fact-checking, shadow-editing, story conferences and post-mortems. Each intern works closely with specific editors and is encouraged to generate ideas for the magazine. A voracious appetite for city affairs is essential. Interns will have the opportunity to write for the print and/or online issue of Toronto Life.
Applicants must be willing to work on a full-time, unpaid basis for four months. They should have excellent oral and written communication skills, be extremely creative, highly organized and fanatically attentive to detail.
Candidates must complete the following application and send it, along with a cover letter, resume and, if available, published writing samples, to our chief of research, Veronica Maddocks.
Suite 320, 111 Queen St. E., Toronto, M5C 1S2 or vmaddocks@torontolife.com.
Application
Candidates may apply for as many of the following internships as they wish, but need submit only one answer to the duplicated sections of the application.
These assignments will enable us to gauge: (a) your familiarity with Toronto Life and its readership; (b) your ability to generate appropriate story ideas; and (c) your writing skills and attention to detail.
Service and Lifestyle Intern (position available March, 2012)
The service and lifestyle intern assists the editor of the Navigator section of the monthly magazine and the editor of Toronto Life’s special interest service publications. This intern is immersed in the world of Toronto trends, shopping, fashion, home design, real estate, weddings, travel, restaurants and food. Duties may include: fact-checking, idea generating, reporting, helping to research and write monthly Super Shopper page copy, reviewing stores, restaurants, and city services, helping with administrative and organizational tasks, researching and sourcing products, and assisting freelance stylists. Interns will attend story meetings and learn the production process of both the monthly and special interest magazines. Applicants should be eager to report on new establishments and must be detail-oriented enough to help manage a database. An appreciation of Toronto as consumer playground is key.
1. Generate four story ideas for articles in four different sections of the magazine (about 100 words each). Show clearly how and why they would be appropriate for an existing section of the magazine (e.g. This City, a front-of-the-book column, a feature story, a design column etc.). Your proposals should be clearly focused and should indicate why you think these ideas are right for Toronto Life.
2. Write a review of the one of the annual city guides (250 words or so). We know we're not perfect, so we expect a penetrating analysis.
3. Write a 100-word listing for one of your favourite shops, bars, clubs or restaurants in the city. This exercise requires that you visit the location and record any information and observations you think are appropriate and most useful to Toronto Life readers. Please see the Web site for examples.
4. Fact-check and copy-edit the following passage, identifying any errors of fact, grammar, punctuation or spelling. Please provide a list of all sources used. The "I" is chief of research, Veronica Maddocks, who can be contacted at 416-364-3333, ext. 3056.
My mother didn’t believe in him. It was only when she saw his name on the official website and his familiar address 7 Club Street, Birkenhead England, that she accepted the existence of this young man. Her own father had never mentioned his older brother who died in the mud of Flanders in July 1917 years before she was born, and all those with answers are now themselves dead. George Agnew is buried in the CWC cemetery at Etaple. The small fishing port had evolved into a “hospital city” equipped to deal with 22,000 wounded but the medical care was perfunctory and the injuries horrendous. 14,000 French and British Great War soldiers lay in its commonwealth graves.
“I never knew,” said my mother, “Why didn’t anyone tell me? They talked enough about the death of your great-grandfather. He walked off the edge of the dock and drowned when he was going back to his ship in the early hours of new year’s eve. He was probably drunk. So why would they talk about one and not the other”
I only know what the small notation tells me. But next week my mother and me are catching the Euro Star at King’s Cross station in London. We will rent a car at Calais Ville and go to visit George’s grave. Maybe we shall also find some excellent waterzoi.
Research intern (position available May, 2012)
Understanding how to conduct original research and how to verify the facts within complex stories is essential for anyone moving into a career as a researcher, writer or editor. The intern will work closely with the magazine’s chief of research to learn how to apply industry standards, judge the authority of sources, conduct research interviews, understand legal and ethical considerations, and be a better journalist. The intern will also work with various editors on specific research projects. Research interns are given the chance to write for both the print and online editions of Toronto Life.
1. Generate four story ideas for four different articles in the magazine (about 100 words each). Show clearly how and why they would be appropriate for an existing section of the magazine (e.g. This City, a front-of-the-book column, a feature story, a design column, etc.). Your proposals should be clearly focused and should indicate why you think these ideas are right for Toronto Life.
2. Write a review of the current issue (500 words or so). We know we're not perfect, so we expect a penetrating analysis.
3. Fact-check and copy-edit the following passage, identifying any errors of fact, grammar, punctuation or spelling. Provide a list of all sources used. The "I" is chief of research, Veronica Maddocks, who should be contacted at 416-364-3333, ext. 3056.
My mother didn’t believe in him. It was only when she saw his name on the official website and his familiar address 7 Club Street, Birkenhead England, that she accepted the existence of this young man. Her own father had never mentioned his older brother who died in the mud of Flanders in July 1917 years before she was born, and all those with answers are now themselves dead. George Agnew is buried in the CWC cemetery at Etaple. The small fishing port had evolved into a “hospital city” equipped to deal with 22,000 wounded but the medical care was perfunctory and the injuries horrendous. 14,000 French and British Great War soldiers lay in its commonwealth graves.
“I never knew,” said my mother, “Why didn’t anyone tell me? They talked enough about the death of your great-grandfather. He walked off the edge of the dock and drowned when he was going back to his ship in the early hours of new year’s eve. He was probably drunk. So why would they talk about one and not the other”
I only know what the small notation tells me. But next week my mother and me are catching the Euro Star at King’s Cross station in London. We will rent a car at Calais Ville and go to visit George’s grave. Maybe we shall also find some excellent waterzoi.
Online intern (position available May, 2012)
The online internship is for applicants looking to explore the developing world of online publishing. Interns learn the best Web editing techniques, the ins and outs of professional blogging and the role the Web site plays within the Toronto Life brand. Online interns write a great deal of the material that appears on torontolife.com, so applicants should familiarize themselves with the tone, style, humour and concept of the site before proceeding with their applications. This is an internship for a young writer with a great general knowledge of the news of the day who thrives on a fast pace and tight deadlines. Familiarity with major blogs (Daily Intel, Gawker, Huffington Post) is an asset.
1. Write four blog posts, one for each of torontolife.com’s blogs (The Dish, The Hype, The Informer, The Goods). Each submission should be based on a current news item and should not exceed 200 words. Your blog posts should be clearly focused on a single story and should reflect the humour, sensibility and voice of the intended blog.
2. Write a review of torontolife.com (500 words or so). We know we're not perfect, so we expect a penetrating analysis.
3. List the four online sources that you rely on for information. These can be blogs, newspaper sites, social media, RSS feeds—anything, really. In one sentence, describe why that Web source is particularly useful or interesting to you.
4. Fact-check and copy-edit the following passage, identifying any errors of fact, grammar, punctuation or spelling. Please provide a list of all sources used. The "I" is chief of research, Veronica Maddocks, who should be contacted at 416-364-3333, ext. 3056.
My mother didn’t believe in him. It was only when she saw his name on the official website and his familiar address 7 Club Street, Birkenhead England, that she accepted the existence of this young man. Her own father had never mentioned his older brother who died in the mud of Flanders in July 1917 years before she was born, and all those with answers are now themselves dead. George Agnew is buried in the CWC cemetery at Etaple. The small fishing port had evolved into a “hospital city” equipped to deal with 22,000 wounded but the medical care was perfunctory and the injuries horrendous. 14,000 French and British Great War soldiers lay in its commonwealth graves.
“I never knew,” said my mother, “Why didn’t anyone tell me? They talked enough about the death of your great-grandfather. He walked off the edge of the dock and drowned when he was going back to his ship in the early hours of new year’s eve. He was probably drunk. So why would they talk about one and not the other”
I only know what the small notation tells me. But next week my mother and me are catching the Euro Star at King’s Cross station in London. We will rent a car at Calais Ville and go to visit George’s grave. Maybe we shall also find some excellent waterzoi.
Culture intern (position available May, 2012)
A driving curiosity, thoughtful spirit and whole-hearted devotion to all things arts-related are a must for this position. The intern will work closely with the magazine’s culture editor and assist with writing and fact-checking arts and entertainment listings, and on specific research projects.
1. Write a review of the current issue (500 words or so). We know we're not perfect, so we expect a penetrating analysis.
2. Write three 60-word listings for events happening in the city. They must fall under three of the following categories: Theatre, Classical, Pop, Jazz, Art, Dance, Kids or Diversions. Refer to the magazine’s This Month section for guidance regarding the format.
3. Write a 200-word post for torontolife.com that would be suitable for The Hype blog.
4. Fact-check and copy-edit the following passage, identifying any errors of fact, grammar, punctuation or spelling. Please provide a list of all sources used. The "I" is chief of research, Veronica Maddocks, who should be contacted at 416-364-3333, ext. 3056.
My mother didn’t believe in him. It was only when she saw his name on the official website and his familiar address 7 Club Street, Birkenhead England, that she accepted the existence of this young man. Her own father had never mentioned his older brother who died in the mud of Flanders in July 1917 years before she was born, and all those with answers are now themselves dead. George Agnew is buried in the CWC cemetery at Etaple. The small fishing port had evolved into a “hospital city” equipped to deal with 22,000 wounded but the medical care was perfunctory and the injuries horrendous. 14,000 French and British Great War soldiers lay in its commonwealth graves.
“I never knew,” said my mother, “Why didn’t anyone tell me? They talked enough about the death of your great-grandfather. He walked off the edge of the dock and drowned when he was going back to his ship in the early hours of new year’s eve. He was probably drunk. So why would they talk about one and not the other”
I only know what the small notation tells me. But next week my mother and me are catching the Euro Star at King’s Cross station in London. We will rent a car at Calais Ville and go to visit George’s grave. Maybe we shall also find some excellent waterzoi.
Follow Toronto Life on Twitter, Facebook and via RSS