Sample Cover Letter

Jane Doe
1234 Main Street
Honolulu, Hawaiʻi 96822
808-999-9999
janedoe@hawaii.edu

January 1, 2015

John Kelly
Society of Professional Journalists, Hawaii Chapter
PO Box 12345
Honolulu, Hawaiʻi 12345

Dear Mr. Kelly and the Intern Program Selection Committee:

My friends say I am "nuts" after hearing that I spend 30 hours a week inside the concrete newsroom of the daily student newspaper at the University of Hawaiʻi.

They do not understand why I will pass up perfect surf to write two stories averaging 25 inches every week. My girlfriend wonders why I will miss another party to select, then edit three stories (wire and staff) and layout two news pages every weekday on deadline. They question why (on top of being a full-time student) I like to assign and edit all the news stories, coach 33 staff writers, and schedule writing and reporting workshops to increase staff skills and their understanding of our readership.

But each time I write or edit a story for our 14,000 readers, I learn something new. When I was managing editor for the Kapiʻolani Community College weekly student newspaper, I also learned about taking digital photographs and laying out pages with InDesign.

I still enjoy getting that long-awaited phone call from a source, sending the story to copy on time, watching the printed version still warm ejecting from the printer and landing safely in my hands. I love informing the public by doing what I love. All of that is why I have chosen journalism as my profession.

My experiences in writing, editing, and reporting and my interest in and dedication to the profession make me an ideal candidate for the intern position you are offering. I have attached a resume and samples of my writing for your review. I look forward to meeting with you to discuss how I can contribute to your news operation.

Sincerely,

Jane Doe