Audience Fellows, The Economist in City of Westminster

The Audience team is at the heart of The Economist's digital strategy. It distributes our journalism via posts on social-media sites including Instagram, X, LinkedIn, Facebook, Threads, Bluesky, WhatsApp, TikTok and YouTube; through 25 newsletters, 20 of which are exclusive to our subscribers; by sending notifications to multiple apps; and by ensuring that search engines and large language models can locate and recommend our work. Through these platforms we identify our next generation of readers and build relationships with existing subscribers, all while remaining true to our 183-year-old brand.

Audience journalists collaborate with our 300-strong global newsroom to accurately, responsibly and speedily promote our articles, podcasts, videos and special projects. They are innovative, unstoppable newshounds with a deep interest in, and knowledge of, geopolitics, business and finance, as well as how the publishing industry is changing and new forms of distribution for digital news. Their writing is crisp and concise; their attention to detail is superb; and they can quickly master and recall our style guide. They understand how The Economist's coverage differs from that of other publishers, and the risks to our reputation should even a single word be misconstrued.

We are hiring a number of Audience Fellows, on contracts of up to 12 months, ideally joining us between April and July 2026. Fellows, or interns, turn articles, podcasts and other media in every area we cover—from business, finance and geopolitics to science, technology and culture—into punchy, succinct social-media posts that are customised by platform. They work on digital storytelling across several formats, from creating graphics to scripting Instagram carousels and stories or writing polls. They produce newsletters for our own subscribers and for audiences on the likes of LinkedIn and Substack. Generally, they do not make short- or long-form videos, which are handled by a separate department. However, there are opportunities to shadow other teams, and to occasionally pitch articles, during a fellowship.

Qualifications and experience

Some experience of writing or publishing, perhaps through local internships or a university or college newsroom, or by telling engaging stories online. May have gained NCTJ-style training that has introduced them to the ins and outs of journalism and areas such as media law, reporting and style guides. They avoid common mistakes in their applications and show a solid grasp of The Economist, its work and its priority platforms when outlining why they are right for the fellowship. They also know how to stand out from the crowd: last year there were more than 200 applicants.

Eligibility and logistical requirements

All applicants must be based in the United Kingdom to take up the role. They must already be in possession of residency, citizenship or a visa that allows them to live and work in London for their entire 12-month contract, without the need for any additional immigration-related process. This is non-negotiable. We cannot sponsor candidates or wait for any immigration-related decisions: it is not enough to say that you intend to secure a visa in the future.

Work environment and compensation

Our team is expected to attend our main newsroom in central London for, on average, two to three days per week. There will be some out-of-hours working, on a rota basis: typically this would mean one week per month of late (afternoon/evening) shifts and one weekend in about eight, albeit that the news agenda can affect this. Fellows have an annual salary of £28,700.

Diversity and inclusion

The Economist Group values diversity. We are committed to equal opportunities and creating an inclusive environment for all our employees. We welcome applicants regardless of ethnic origin, national origin, gender, race, colour, religious beliefs, disability, sexual orientation or age.