Pitching My Own Stories at WUSA9—and Meeting Some Dogs in the Process

By Dean’s Intern Chelsea Cirruzzo at WUSA9

I can’t think of a more ideal Sunday afternoon than one spent surrounded by Corgis. Yes, lovable, fluffy Corgis. This was considered interning? At WUSA9, yes!

My internship at WUSA9 has been nothing but encouraging of my interests. In the first week, my supervisor told me that I was free to pitch and report my own stories. She showed me how to track trends online using various social tools and told me that if I wanted to write something, all I had to do was ask. I start my mornings at WUSA9 in a pitch meeting where I listen to other writers, social media editors, and reporters discuss the top headlines and trending stories. In those meetings, I’ve been able to speak up and talk about stories I’ve seen trending; as a lover of Facebook events, I got excited when I noticed that there was a Corgi festival event page being circulated. It was taking place that coming weekend at beer garden. As I’d recently become interested in writing about D.C. lifestyle and events, I did a short and fun write-up on the event and posted it to WUSA9’s Facebook and Twitter page.

The next day, I was surprised when the article was trending on WUSA9’s social pages. One of the digital producers suggested, if the article was so popular, why don’t I go to the event and take pictures? Spend an entire day taking pictures of Corgis? Yes! I got to spend a whole day petting dogs, watching them race, and sitting in on a dog costume contest. Adorable and fun.

I’m lucky to intern for an organization that fosters my creativity and allows me to take stories and news into my own hands. I can’t wait to see what I get to do next.