MLB.com seeking 30 interns

You definitely would not have time for another job unless it had very flexible hours.

 

Was an intern there last year and although it was a great experience, there's no way I could have done it without pay. Even living with relatives things like food and gas add up. And when your team is in town there's no way you can have another job since you are gone from 3-11 p.m. or so. Unless your job lets you pick your own hours you won't be making any money.

 

I had to drop out when it went unpaid. I would've been walking away from a sure thing that pays to interview millionaires for free. Good luck to those who are able to do it, though.

 

I applied and haven't heard anything back either way as of yet, but given the fact that it's changing to an unpaid internship it's going to make it pretty difficult to afford 14 weeks. Luckily I have friends/family in a couple MLB cities so it'd still be doable but I'd have to dig into savings to do it.

I could probably use the resume spot so if I got offered it (unlikely, given the competition) I'd probably still take it. I'm graduating in May, but what else am I going to do? Yeah, maybe there's not a lot of dignity in doing something for free that I arguably should get paid for, but I'd rather be working and getting experience for no pay than sitting at home on my dignity for no pay anyway. Congrats to whoever ultimately gets these spots, nobody ever said this business was going to be easy.

 

aint that the truth.

 

I formerly freelanced for MLB.com so I can comment on two things:

1.  Their "budget cuts" have ABSOLUTELY nothing to do with the current economic downtown.  It is simply a convenient excuse.  They had all but eliminated their freelance budget over the last few years.

2.  And more importantly - do not assume that an internship for any league website (i.e., mlb.com, nba.com, nfl.com, nhl.com) is a free pass to a newspaper job.  In fact, every single daily SE I spoke to said the same thing: clips from league websites are considered less valuable then newspaper (or magazine) clips because they view league websites as little more than marketing vehicles and thus objective reporting flies out the window.  Bottom line to interns, if you have a choice between your hometown newspaper and mlb.com - no question, choose the newspaper.  (I'd be interested to hear other reporters' experience with this viewpoint from SEs.)

 

from what Bill told me, selections won't be made until February now.

 

A MLB.com beat writer told me recently that not only have they cut interns this season, but they've also chopped their freelance writing budget to exactly zilch.

 

Remember, all of this cost-shedding by MLB.com coincides with the arrival of the Network, whose start-up costs I assume are putting a big drain on MLB Advanced Media. I can't imagine the folks at MLB are doing this just to be pricks. Although when you look at these things in comparison to the commish's alleged salary, it's still hard to justify.

 

Meanwhile, however, I'm hearing through the grapevine that Phila. Inquirer Phillies beat reporter Todd Zolecki has jumped to mlb.com, and the Inquirer is starting a speedy search for a new Phillies beat reporter.

 

Yes, but I'm sure it can be argued that the writings of the interns is drawing people to MLB.com, where they then spend subscription money on MLB.TV, drop $200 on an A-Rod jersey or simply give a buttload of crucial personal data that MLB can use to its favor. To expect these kids to work for free is absolutely despicable.

 

Anyone hear anything new? Any updates?