Journalism’s Impact on Democracy

By Dean’s Intern McKenzie Beard at Voice of America

Over the course of the fall semester, I have had the opportunity to work as a reporter for the Voice of America News Center. 2020 has shown that journalism is a critical part of maintaining democracy and a healthy, well informed society.

Prior to joining Voice of America, I had participated in an internship with a community radio station in my hometown that I feel prepared me for this next step up in the world of journalism. Being an active member of student media as well gave me the tools to succeed in a fast paced and collaborative newsroom environment.

While my internship has been remote due to the coronavirus pandemic, my supervisors at Voice of America have consistently made me feel like an important member of their newsroom. I have had the wonderful opportunity to write for both and internal news wire within the organization in addition to researching and writing stories for the Voice of America website. As I’ve grown as a reporter during my time with VoA, I’ve found that direct guidance from experienced reporters and editors has strengthened my skillset as a journalist tenfold. Moreover, because this internship has been hosted online, I’ve been able to learn how to navigate working both independently and with a team remotely.

I’m thrilled that Voice of America continued to host their internship program remotely during the fall 2020 semester, and hope that this impeccable team continues to produce strong stories with the help of AU students for years to come.”

In addition, here is a link to my portfolio where you can find some of the work I’ve done so far for VoA: https://mckenziebeard.journoportfolio.com/feature-articles/