Want to break into news? The New York Press Association, which represents hundreds of community newspapers around the state, is sponsoring paid summer internships at member papers. 

The competitive program offers $2,600 stipends for eight weeks of summer work as a reporter or photographer.

You'll find the application at http://www.nynewspapers.com/intern/Student%20Application07-08.pdf

Deadline is Jan. 15, and you'll need three clips and three recommendations.

The NYPA will place you at a paper, but you can also work things the other way around. If you are offered an intership by a paper, tell the hiring editor or publisher that you are applying to the Howard Palmer Internship Program and he or she will let NYPA know that the paper wants to hire you.

I know from my experience as an editor and from my students' experience as summer interns that this is a great opportunity to learn the craft and build a file of professional clips.

Bernard L. Stein
Professor of journalism