Share on Facebook
Tweet ThisTelling Stories That Matter at Voice of America
By Dean’s Intern Joe Kelly at Voice of America
A year of hard work and dedication is about to pay off. My time at VOA has been one of the most memorable and rewarding experiences during my time at AU. This June, the documentary I have been working on for the last six months will finally be released (stay tuned for the title). It follows the Afghanistan National Institute of Music and their dramatic escape from the country following the Taliban’s takeover in August. I encourage anyone who is reading this to look into the life of Dr. Ahmad Sarmast, the man who founded the school. The heroism he has shown throughout his life is truly amazing. More people should know about his work and how he saved the lives of 273 people last August . Of course, he is a main character in our documentary so keep an eye out for that as well! I can’t tell you how excited I am for people’s reaction to the film when it comes out.
The research I have been doing has been extremely fascinating and seeing it on the big screen will be a dream come true. I will not lie, there have been times throughout the last year in which Beth, Katie, and I have had tremendous challenges getting everything in order for this documentary to be made. That just makes it all the more rewarding to see the finished product. When I see my name in the credits, I will take comfort in knowing I played a small role in something very important.
We’re in production now at Voice of America on a documentary about a group of Afghan refugees who have resettled in Portugal. The journey has been incredible – they got out of Kabul with help from a huge community of people around the world, spent several weeks in Qatar as a transition point, and then flew to Portugal. We managed to get videographers to capture footage of them in all three cities – yes, even in the safehouse they were using in Kabul! The moment we saw the plane land in Lisbon, we knew we had captured something incredible.
Covering public media may be niche, but it’s certainly never boring. Interning at Current this semester has taught me a lot about the dynamic world of public media. One of my favorite things about covering public media is getting to talk to people who work in public media, whether that is people involved with fundraising at local PBS and NPR stations or the journalists themselves. One of my favorite things I’ve worked on so far is my most recent article, where I wrote about how public media is using TikTok to connect with younger audiences and focus on local content. As an avid TikTok user myself, I had seen several news organizations on the platform and wondered how public media was utilizing the app. From there, I pitched the story to my editors, and then I interviewed the people creating TikTok content at three different public radio and TV stations and was fascinated by what they all had to say.
Have you ever wondered how Google search algorithms work? Since February 2021, I’ve had the amazing opportunity to learn how to market on today’s biggest search engine. As a Digital Marketing fellow at BluShark Digital, I’ve learned the principles of search engine optimization and the foundations of paid advertising.
As President Joe Biden walked into the House chamber to deliver his first State of the Union address, I tuned out the applause and prepared to write. Sitting in the press gallery, I covered Biden’s speech as the congressional correspondent for The Durango Herald, racing to send in a comprehensive story by the deadline for next day’s print paper. The experience epitomized the mission of this internship: translating national conversations into timely stories that are relevant to the residents of Southwest Colorado. While hitting Biden’s main talking points, I also focused on policy priorities supported by the Colorado delegation, and I covered the moment 
Pitching a new story idea is always hard. It has to be timely, interesting, and relevant to the readership. Aside from writing pieces for my internship at Current.org, the hardest thing I do as an editorial intern is developing pitches that my editors will find pertinent. One story I successfully pitched to my editors was also the hardest story I’ve ever had to write.
Walking through the small town of Durango, Colorado in September, I took in the sights and sounds of a city that seemed like a stereotypical Hollywood set of a western film. As someone who has grown up and went to college on the east coast, I was unfamiliar with the culture that I found in Southwest Colorado, along with the issues that people are concerned about. But while reporting on Congress for The Durango Herald, I’ve learned how to localize national political news and pitch stories about the issues that the people in Durango truly care about.
Well the time had finally come…After around a dozen proposals, we have finally been approved for a new documentary at VOA. And boy is it an interesting one. Currently, I am assisting Beth in the early stages of producing a documentary about the Zohra Orchestra, Afghanistan’s first female orchestra. We are going to tell their story, as well as the story of Dr. Ahmad Sarmast, the founder of the Afghanistan National Institute of Music.. He was injured several years ago in a Taliban attack at one of his concerts. Now with the Taliban back in power, many members of the orchestra are still trapped in the country under a regime that forbids music. We are going to tell the story of the orchestra and what the tragic fall of Afghanistan means for its members, both those who have escaped and those who haven’t. To be involved in a film like this is truly amazing. I was the first to contact Dr. Sarmast. Being able to communicate with such an inspiring man is simply awesome. I am extremely excited to start the production process for the documentary. I am in the process of getting my government clearance now, so I will have access to archival footage and documents that should be fascinating. I can’t wait to get to the meat of the project.
I was only two weeks deep at my internship with NBC4 Washington when I was assigned a hefty task by my editor: scour the legislative information systems in DC, Maryland, and Virginia for any new laws that would take effect on October 1, 2021. I spent several days reading through countless laws, some fascinating and some dry, and translating the most newsworthy for NBC4 readers. 
My time at FOX News Media, specifically with “Special Report with Bret Baier,” has been such an incredible experience! As a College Associate for “Special Report,” I have been able to participate, first-hand, in the fast-paced news environment, while at the Washington DC Bureau. I have been mentored and trained by current media professionals and also, had the chance to work on Election Day. Each day starts with a team meeting wherein we discuss the news of the day and the rundown for the daily show. I then take the daily stories for two specific segments, read and unpack them, and begin looking for voiceover (“VO”) footage. From there, I take the footage and find the necessary elements to edit it to correspond with the script. In addition to VO footage, I also create multiple digital elements, like chyrons and locators that are aired on live television based on the story. These responsibilities and more have challenged me to personalize content based on the current news headlines and to provide unique perspectives for further exploration. The skills I have gained throughout this associate program have transferred seamlessly to scriptwriting, research, and understanding of broadcast media. In addition to these skills, I have developed professionally by participating in daily pitch meetings with the production staff.