Public Affairs Intern

The News Media Association (NMA) represents the UK’s local, regional and national news publishers. Our members’ journalism reaches over 45 million UK adults and plays a vital role in supporting a healthy democracy.

We are looking for a Public Affairs Intern to support our parliamentary and legislative engagement. This role offers a genuine opportunity to gain hands on experience of Westminster, legislation and media policy, reporting to the NMA’s Head of Parliamentary and Legislative Engagement.

Key issues include ensuring news publishers are paid fairly by AI firms using journalism for LLM training; ensuring the swift and effective implementation of digital competition laws designed to rebalance the relationship between publishers and Big Tech; and defending press freedom.
It is well suited to someone at an early stage in their career who is interested in politics, public affairs, campaigning and media policy, and who wants direct exposure rather than purely administrative work.

Key responsibilities

The intern will support the NMA’s parliamentary and legislative engagement, including:

- Assisting with engagement across Parliament and Whitehall, including MPs, Peers, and Government officials
- Monitoring parliamentary, legislative and policy developments relevant to the news media sector
- Helping prepare briefings, background notes and stakeholder updates
- Supporting the delivery of campaigns related to press freedom and media sustainability
- Working with colleagues across policy and communications to support coordinated public affairs activity

The role offers scope to take on more responsibility over time, depending on interests and performance.

Skills and experience

We are looking for someone who:

- Has a good basic understanding of UK politics and how Parliament works
- Is interested in public affairs, policy, campaigning or the role of the media
- Can write clearly and communicate confidently
- Is organised, proactive and keen to learn
- Enjoys working as part of a small, collaborative team
- Has an interest in AI, digital policy, and media issues

What we offer

- Direct exposure to Westminster and real parliamentary engagement
- Close working with experienced public affairs professionals
- Insight into legislation and regulation affecting the media sector
- A supportive environment with scope to develop skills and confidence