Job Summary:

About the Role & Internship

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 the number one position in local news since March 1986! Our station’s offices and studios are in The Loop in downtown Chicago!

The Consumer Investigative Unit of the I-Team responds to our viewers who need help or feel as though they have been ripped off or wronged. Our 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.

What You Will Do

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 our consumer’s pocketbooks. As our intern, you will:

• Assist investigative reporter and producer with stories by researching and following up on hotline calls and emails
• Attend field shoots and interviews with our reporter and or producer
• Sit in on editing of segments
• Log interviews with the use of Dalet
• Set up interviews
• Submit Freedom of Information Act requests for data
• Help find digital original stories

Required Qualifications & Skills

• Knowledge of how to log interviews, screen calls, and emails
• Some editorial experience in rooting out a story
• Strong communication skills to talk to callers who are seeking help from the I-Team
• A hard-working, self-starter and willing to take initiative

Preferred Qualifications

• Judgement of what may or may not be an investigation
• Studying journalism or broadcast television in college

Eligibility Requirements & Internship Information

• 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 at time of application posting OR currently participating in a Disney College Program or Disney Professional Internship
• Must be at least 18 years of age
• Must not have completed one year of continual employment on a Disney internship or program.
• Must possess unrestricted work authorization

Additional Information

• Must be able to have a consistent, reliable work schedule throughout the internship
• The approximate dates of this internship are January/February 2024 through June 2024
• Must be fully available 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)
• Must provide own housing for the duration internship program​ in the Chicago, IL area
• Must have reliable transportation to/from work​

About Walt Disney Television:

Walt Disney Television (WDT) redefines the future of media and entertainment. Delivering compelling creative, great storytelling, ground-breaking technology, high-impact marketing and innovative distribution, WDT offers multiple opportunities to build a career that supports entertaining and informing the world. A key unit of The Walt Disney Company, one of the world’s most admired vertically integrated media enterprises, WDT includes global live action and animation entertainment, news, owned television stations, and radio. If you’ve got a passion to join our team of talented professionals we want to hear your story.

About The Walt Disney Company:

The Walt Disney Company, together with its subsidiaries and affiliates, is a leading diversified international family entertainment and media enterprise with the following business segments: Disney Entertainment, ESPN, Disney Parks, and Experiences and Products. From humble beginnings as a cartoon studio in the 1920s to its preeminent name in the entertainment industry today, Disney proudly continues its legacy of creating world-class stories and experiences for every member of the family. Disney’s stories, characters and experiences reach consumers and guests from every corner of the globe. With operations in more than 40 countries, our employees and cast members work together to create entertainment experiences that are both universally and locally cherished.

This position is with WLS Television, Inc., which is part of a business we call Walt Disney Television.

WLS Television, Inc. is an equal opportunity employer. Applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, protected veteran status or any other basis prohibited by federal, state or local law. Disney fosters a business culture where ideas and decisions from all people help us grow, innovate, create the best stories and be relevant in a rapidly changing world.