Social Media InternAt — Temple Of Geek

Social Media Intern at Temple of Geek

Students majoring in journalism, communications, media relations, or broadcast journalism are invited to apply for our Social Media Intern position.

This internship will give you broad exposure to the many moving parts of our newsroom and production, allowing you to learn how all the different components work together to deliver news and value to our audience. You'll gain on-the-job experience as you work with our leading team of entertainment journalists, columnists, podcast hosts, and multimedia producers to create and share content and campaigns for Temple of Geek across social media.

You'll explore the intersection between print, broadcast journalism, and social media. In this role, you will:

• Collaborate on communications campaigns

• Create web features and social media posts

• Produce videos, including video streams and media interviews

• Attend industry press conferences, press junkets, and events

• Conduct media tours

• Create digital news releases

Position Details

This is a hybrid position, with most of the experience being remote. However, in-person events can take place weekly. You must be able to travel within Los Angeles County and Orange County. Summer interns must also be able to travel within San Diego County for events.

Tasks:

Students will perform various duties that will serve as tangible evidence of their acquired skills and knowledge, and can be compiled into a professional portfolio.

Content Creation and Strategy
Create and publish social media posts: This is the core duty that demonstrates the ability to craft compelling copy and visuals. Students will manage and schedule content for various platforms (e.g., Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, TikTok) and tailor each post to the platform's unique audience and format.

Produce multimedia content: Interns will create and edit short-form videos and other visual assets for social media. This includes covering industry events and creating original content, showcasing skills in video production and editing.

Write web features and news releases: By contributing written content for the Temple of Geek website and drafting official press materials, students will demonstrate strong writing and communication skills, and an understanding of journalistic standards and tone.

Media Relations and Event Coverage
Attend press events and junkets: This is a crucial duty for demonstrating real-world experience. Students will attend events and be responsible for live social media coverage, capturing photos and videos, and possibly conducting short interviews. This proves their ability to work in a fast-paced environment and apply their skills under pressure.

Assist with media interviews and tours: Supporting journalists and producers in conducting interviews and media tours will teach students about the professional side of media relations. They will learn how to prepare for, document, and distribute content from these interactions.

Collaboration and Analytics
Contribute to communications campaigns: Interns will collaborate with the team on larger campaigns, from the initial brainstorming phase to the execution. This duty shows their ability to work as part of a team and understand the strategic goals behind content creation.

Analyze social media performance: While not explicitly listed as a duty, the goal of creating and sharing content implies the need to track its success. Students will learn to use analytics to measure engagement, reach, and other key metrics to inform future content decisions. This shows an understanding of data-driven strategy in a newsroom setting.

Training:

Training will consist of:

General Employer Orientation
The internship would begin with a mandatory orientation. This initial training would cover the company's mission, values, and organizational structure. It would introduce the intern to key team members, including the entertainment journalists, columnists, and multimedia producers they will be working with. The orientation will also outline company policies, safety protocols for events, and the overall expectations for the internship.

Weekly Mentorship and One-on-One Meetings
To facilitate a personalized learning experience, the intern would have weekly scheduled one-on-one meetings with a mentor. During these sessions, the mentor would provide an overview and contextualization of assigned tasks, ensuring the intern understands the \\why\\ behind their work. They would also review the intern's progress, provide constructive feedback on their work, and help them set and achieve their learning goals. This regular check-in ensures the intern is supported and their learning is on track.

Job Shadowing and Hands-On Training
A significant part of the training will be job shadowing. The intern will get to observe journalists and producers in action, especially during press conferences, junkets, and media interviews. This direct observation will provide invaluable insight into how professionals handle real-world situations. The intern will then apply these observations through hands-on skills training, where they will be guided through creating web features, editing videos, and crafting social media posts. The provision of work samples—examples of successful campaigns or articles—will serve as a practical guide for the intern's own projects.

Workshops and Skill Development
The internship will include opportunities for workshops or skills training sessions. These could be focused on specific tools or techniques, such as using video editing software, social media management platforms, or search engine optimization (SEO) best practices. The goal is to provide targeted, practical training that goes beyond the basic tasks, helping the intern develop specialized skills relevant to modern journalism and media.

Learning Outcome:

By the end of the academic internship, the student will be able to:

Increase Social Media Engagement and Audience Reach
The intern should focus on growing the Temple of Geek audience and encouraging interaction. This directly relates to the job's focus on creating and sharing content and campaigns.

Goal: Increase social media engagement (likes, shares, comments, saves) by a specific percentage (e.g., 15%) across all platforms over the course of the internship.

Develop a Comprehensive Content Creation Portfolio
The job description emphasizes creating a wide variety of content, from web features to videos. The intern should aim to build a diverse body of work that can be used for their professional portfolio.

Goal: Successfully produce and publish at least one piece of content from each category (web feature, video, social media campaign, news release, etc.) to showcase a broad skill set.

Gain Hands-on Experience in Media Relations and Event Coverage
The role involves attending press conferences and junkets. A key goal should be to leverage these opportunities to learn about the industry and contribute directly to the team's coverage.

Goal: Actively participate in a minimum number of in-person events (e.g., 3-5 events) and produce content from each, such as social media stories, interview clips, or live-streamed segments.

Master the Intersection of Different Media Platforms
The job description highlights learning how print, broadcast, and social media work together. The intern should aim to understand and apply this knowledge in practice.

Goal: Demonstrate an understanding of cross-platform strategy by creating a single piece of content (e.g., a press junket interview) and adapting it for at least three different platforms with unique formats (e.g., a video clip for TikTok, a quote-graphic for Instagram, and a written article for the website).