WLS-TV (ABC7) I-Team & Consumer Intern, Summer/Fall 2023

ABC7 (WLS-TV) Chicago is the Midwest flagship of the ABC television network. ABC7 leads the market in local news coverage with daily newscasts and has been in a number one position in local news since March 1986. The station’s offices and studios are in The Loop in downtown Chicago.

Be a part of an innovative team and culture…

The Consumer Investigative Unit of the I-Team responds to viewers who need help or feel as though they have been ripped off or wronged. The I-Team looks for patterns of complaints attached to certain companies to warn other viewers. We also alert viewers to data and privacy concerns and find stories that have broad warnings, which can help improve people’s everyday lives.

The Consumer division of the I-Team also proactively digs for other stories through research and the use of the Freedom of Information Act to uncover wrongdoing and problems which affect consumer’s pocketbooks.

A day in the life…

• Assist investigative reporter and producer with stories by researching and following up on hotline calls and emails

• Attend field shoots and interviews with reporter and or producer

• Sit in on editing of segments

• Log interviews with use of Dalet

• Set up interviews

• Submit Freedom of Information Act requests for data

• Help find digital original stories

What we are looking for…

• Undergraduate students in their Junior or Senior year or recently graduated within the past 6 months

• Knowledge of how to log interviews, screen calls, and emails

• Some editorial experience on rooting out a story

• Strong communication skills to talk to callers who are seeking help from the I-Team

• A self-starer and willingness to take initiative

Preferred Qualifications:

• Judgement of what may or may not be an investigation

• Studying journalism or broadcast television in college

Required Education:

• Must be enrolled in an accredited college/university taking at least one class in the semester/quarter (spring/fall) prior to participation in the internship program OR must have graduated from a college/university within 6 months OR currently participating in a Disney College Program or Disney Professional Internship

Additional Details:

• Must possess unrestricted work authorization

• Must be at least 18 years of age

• Must not have completed one year of continual employment on a Disney internship or program.

Program Dates:

• All candidates must be available from June 2023 through early January 2024

• All candidates must be willing to work 20 hours/week during a Monday through Sunday schedule (hours and days to be determined by your supervisor, and could include nights, weekends, and holidays)

• All candidates must be able to have a consistent, reliable work schedule throughout the session

• All candidates must provide their own housing and transportation for the duration of the internship. This internship is located in Chicago, IL.