DACC launching paid campus journalism internships
Doña Ana Community College is launching a paid campus journalism program, selecting eight students for newsroom internships as the college builds its first student-run newscast and newspaper.
Eight students will work in local newsrooms — including Organ Mountain News and KRWG — as DACC builds its first student-run newscast and newspaper
Damien Willis, Organ Mountain News
LAS CRUCES - Doña Ana Community College is launching a new campus journalism program that will place eight students in paid internships at local newsrooms — including Organ Mountain News and KRWG-TV/FM — as the college builds its first student-run newscast and newspaper.
The program, known as DACC Campus Journalism, will select up to eight students interested in journalism. Bilingual students are encouraged to apply, though bilingualism is not required.
This internship program grew out of a grant-funded partnership DACC began building in 2025 with local news organizations, including Organ Mountain News.
In March 2025, DACC began developing a proposal to join a statewide cohort of community colleges working to strengthen local news ecosystems. The effort focused on creating paid student journalism roles, building newsroom partnerships and developing a student-run news operation at the college.
That grant, supported by the New Mexico Local News Fund and Journalism + Design at The New School, aimed to help community colleges create pathways into journalism through training, paid work and partnerships with existing newsrooms.
The current internship program reflects that work, pairing students with working news organizations while DACC builds its own student-run newscast and digital newspaper.
Students selected for the program will be placed at partner news organizations where they will receive hands-on training in reporting, production and newsroom operations.
As part of the project, students will also help launch DACC’s first student-run newscast and digital newspaper.
Applications are now live through Handshake. The application window is expected to close Feb. 6 to allow time to review submissions. (Students must be logged in to Handshake to view the posting.)
DACC plans to promote the program through campus advisors, faculty and staff, student engagement offices, social media and printed flyers across campus.
Students with questions about the program can contact Denise LaFrance-Ojinaga, marketing communications specialist at DACC, at dlafrance@dacc.nmsu.edu.
Damien Willis is founder and editor of Organ Mountain News. If you have a personal story to share or a lead we should follow up on, reach out at OrganMountainNews@gmail.com or connect with him on X at @damienwillis.
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