The National Thoroughbred Writers and Broadcasters have announced that the organization will assist racing media outlets in funding internships for the third year in a row. 

The NTWAB’s internship assistance program is designed to better enable horse racing publications and broadcast outlets to offer paid internship positions. In the fall, NTWAB members voted to authorize up to $10,000 total in matching funds to be spread across multiple outlets. Selected outlets will receive a minimum of $2,000 in matching funds from NTWAB, with more matching support possible depending on application volume. 

In 2024, NTWAB co-funded internships at Thoroughbred Daily News, The Saratoga Special, and NYRA/FOX. 

For the second consecutive year, The Saratoga Special was able to expand its traditional summer internship program from two positions to three, thanks to NTWAB’s support. One of this year’s three interns was Julia Reedy, a senior at Syracuse University studying in the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications. She is working toward a B.S. in Magazine, News and Digital Journalism.

“Working in Saratoga and spending the better part of my days around the track was an incredible experience,” said Reedy. “I left this summer with a deeper appreciation for horse racing and a greater confidence in my ability as a journalist, thanks to the opportunity I was given at The Special.”

Find some of Reedy’s published work here and here.

“There’s truly no better place to be if you’re interested in the sport and are looking to get published—and the stories extend beyond the track,” Reedy said. “Whether it was recapping a race or covering the Fasig-Tipton Sale, I gained real-time experience interviewing, writing and editing articles, and formed valuable connections along the way.

“If I could do it all over again, I would—and that’s part of the reason why I’ll be back this summer.”

NYRA/FOX hosted Julian Yang, a journalism student at Lehigh University, for eight weeks at Saratoga. Yang researched storylines, assisted videographers with shooting, and helped interview subjects for the outlet’s television features.

“In addition to following reporters in the afternoon as a PA, Julian was able to audit our directors and producers and learn more about the roles in live sports television production,” said Bailey Gallison, production manager at NYRA. “Julian benefited from the opportunity to combine his passion for horse racing with his studies in a professional setting.”

Alexa Crament interned with Thoroughbred Daily News, focusing on social media and video production. You can find some of her work here, here, and here.

“My internship experience with Thoroughbred Daily News was truly a dream,” Crament said. “I had the privilege to work with an incredibly passionate team involved in video production, social media and published content that exceeded my expectations with the amount of opportunities they offered me throughout. Their unwavering support and guidance allowed me to grow more confident in skills such as multitasking, communication, innovation and creativity. 

“I had the most wonderful experiences being able to assist on interviews at horse farms, sit in for the Writer’s Room podcast recordings, create social media content, edit videos and articles as well as publish my own article. Being able to meet and connect with so many people in the industry as well as visiting the various farms with incredible horses was definitely a highlight. This internship allowed me to flourish in my passion for horse racing and sharing stories while also continuing to learn new things and go beyond my comfort zone.”

Any publication or broadcast outlet in the horse racing sphere interested in applying for internship assistance for 2025 is encouraged to apply by Dec. 16. Applying outlets are asked to submit basic information about their internship’s projected job responsibilities, estimated total costs, and funding request amount to an internship committee member or to ntwab2014@gmail.com. The committee will prioritize outlets that have not received support in past years, but all are encouraged to apply.