Join the Newsteam

Become an independent radio journalist today by contacting news@ithacaradio.org.

WRFI Community Radio News offers a flexible non-competitive news production internship to members of our community with a passion for independent media and community service.  Participants in our program are given the opportunity and capacity to produce their own radio journalism pieces and news stories with a common purpose.

Finished productions will be aired to our audiences in Tompkins and Schuyler Counties as well as online at http://mushy-soda.flywheelsites.com.  There is no application process.  You have nothing to lose and everything to gain from this unique experience in independent media.

We have a small dedicated team of local volunteer writers, producers, and hosts.  We focus our programming on local issues of social justice, environment, government, and mass-media / propaganda.

Our news program runs weekdays from 6:00 PM to 6:30 PM.  Our radio platform serves as a one-of-a-kind professional development opportunity for talent interested in exploring journalism, radio documentary, and marketing.

Participants have the ability to come in and immediately start producing their own programming that will reach our audiences in Ithaca and Watkins Glen.  Our news program at WRFI offers a fantastic opportunity for self-motivated students to explore the world of progressive radio journalism while becoming intimately involved with the communities of Tompkins and Schuyler Counties.

The following positions are currently available:
  • News Writer
    • Contribute to our team of writers who help supply the on-air host with the latest breaking headlines from Tompkins and Schuyler counties every weekday.  Scale your contribution so that it fits your schedule and your professional development goals.  Submit at least one locally focused story per week between 200 and 500 words.  Your story will be aired at 4:00PM and 6:00PM on the day it was received.  If you feel like a superstar, you can also help engineer our content development workflow to increase the quality of our programming and the efficiency of our operations.
  • Field Content Producer / Reporter
    • Feel like getting out in the field?  The medium of radio allows us to bring our listeners anywhere you can bring your microphone.  The opportunities for finding compelling local stories of worldly importance are endless.  Capture interesting scenes, interview amazing people, and teach us all something new.
    • As a field producer you can help contribute on-location reporting to our daily news program when breaking news happens or if there’s a special newsworthy event to record.  Stories submitted can be anywhere from 5 to 20 minutes in length.  We have a small number of portable recorders available for loan.  If you try field reporting and enjoy it, we encourage you to invest in your own recorder so that ours are available for other reporters.
  • On-Air Host
    • Join us in studio at 6:00 PM to deliver the news live to our audience.  Read and discuss the news stories, public service announcements, and events provided by our news writers, play the recorded news segments produced by our field producers, and schedule your own newsworthy guests to discuss the most important and interesting local stories of the day.  Hosting radio live on the air is an exhilarating experience like none other, and it feels even better knowing that you’re making a positive contribution to society.  New hosts will be mixing board trained and certified by our existing host-staff.  Hosts will then be able to sign up to hold their own community news program!
  • Social Media / Web Content Manager
    • We’re not just a radio news service, we’re on wordpress, twitter, facebook, and youtube.  The Social Media and Web Content Managers can help enhance our programming by making our content available to audiences on the web through multiple venues.  Post our news writer’s stories to wordpress and watch them automatically be updated to twitter and facebook.  Share our field producer’s recorded segments with our web audience. and help raise awareness about how awesome community radio is to be a part of!
Contact news@ithacaradio.org for all inquiries.  You’re as passionate about independent media as we are, so contact us and let us know what your interests are and how we can work together to create great radio.