Its quite different to have an upaid internship for a reporter compared to a web programmer. A reporter is essentially useless until he/she has spent a fair am

Its quite different to have an upaid internship for a reporter compared to a web programmer. A reporter is essentially useless until he/she has spent a fair amount of time learning the trade from the senior journalists. Building contacts, how to dig and research, gut feelings, etc ... all that comes from watching and experience. This is precisely what interships are for.