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  • socdeansintern 12:25 pm on November 24, 2021 Permalink
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    The Intersection of Business and Politics at FBN 

    By Dean’s Intern Olivia Tinari at Fox Business Network
    Olivia TinariThis past semester, I had the opportunity to work again with the Fox Business Network at their Washington D.C. Bureau on the Assignment Desk. I was honored to be selected again to return to the Fox Business Network as a College Associate after completing a summer internship with both the New York and D.C. Bureaus.

    Over the course of the internship, I had the opportunity to once again delve into the business broadcast industry and gain practical experience while interning for one of the largest media and entertainment companies in the world. I was mainly involved in covering the intersection of business and politics. This included important and impactful happenings both on the Hill and at the White House. In particular, I was able to provide support and research for reporting on the newly passed Infrastructure Bill, the COP26 conference in Glasgow and the G20 conference in Rome.

    Between pitching news stories and providing research, I had the opportunity to work more on the production side this Fall. I was able to log video elements to watch video footage and label content accordingly. I would then plug-in video elements in the iNews rundown using Dalet. I also had the opportunity to assist reporters, producers and editors on news and editorial decisions. The most interesting part of the program was shadowing different editors, producers and reporters on assignment. This gave me the best vision of what it is really like to work at a major news agency.

    The FOX internship program as a whole continued to focus on a variety of professional development opportunities. I attended several enriching panels from the sports broadcast industry to the news industry – geared to advancing my knowledge of the industry.

    As a key member contributing to the FBN Assignment Desk at the D.C. Bureau, I gained invaluable experience as a working journalist. I am so grateful to the FOX family for giving me the opportunity to work two internships with the expectation of returning, yet again, in January 2022. As a graduating senior in May, I will continue to apply the knowledge I gained at FBN to my impending graduate studies and to my future work in the broadcast news industry.

     
  • socdeansintern 3:03 pm on October 29, 2021 Permalink
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    Promoting the News at MSNBC 

    By Dean’s Intern Schanelle Marie Saldanha at MSNBC

    Schanelle on computer

    Over the past semester, I’ve had the incredible opportunity to serve as a Media Relations Intern with MSNBC. Getting the chance to work with one of the country’s largest news and media organizations has been nothing short of a

    n enriching experience.

    As a media relations intern, I work with the MSNBC PR team, which essentially helps promote the news. My day typically begins by monitoring any media hits about the network, talent, and shows to send to the PR team. Because the news industry is so unpredictable and fast-paced, the rest of my day varies drastically. At any given hour, I can be found transcribing press events, building reporter lists, sending out pitches, drafting press releases, and helping the team in whatever way I can. More recently, I’ve gotten the chance to do some preparation press work for the upcoming coverage of the Virginia and New Jersey Gubernatorial Elections, including compiling candidate research and previous media coverage from competing networks. Being able to learn the intricacies of news promotion in real-time has been incredibly insightful.

    Overall, I’m so grateful for the chance to be interning with MSNBC. Working with such a collaborative and experienced team has allowed me to delve further into my passion for public communications, research, and the news. As a senior getting ready to wrap up my time in SOC, I couldn’t think of a more immersive opportunity in the field of news and media.

     
  • socdeansintern 9:32 am on October 25, 2021 Permalink
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    Learning from Day One: My Internship at Current 

    By Dean’s Intern Gabe Ferris at Current

    Gabe Ferris

    This fall, I have been enjoying my internship with Current.org. We report on public and noncommercial media, like PBS, NPR, their affiliates, and community radio and television stations throughout the country. And as an editorial intern, it has been my job to learn as much about the industry as possible so that I can report onstories like Current’s full-time reporters do.

    That learning started on my first day. I was quickly assigned a story about a grant from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting enabling 14 stations to combat COVID-19 misinformation and vaccine hesitancy in their markets. That was an insightful first assignment, as I had to learn about public media funding. I also had to identify the stations that wereusing the funds in creative ways, so I could contact them to secure interviews. Within a few days, I was on the phone with a handful of station executives who were eager to tell me about their plans to use the money. I am proud to say that that story –– and my second one –– made it into our September/October print edition.

    My SOC Dean’s internship at Current has been all I wanted and more. I have gained bylines and much experience that comes with reporting. I am fortunate to have the best editors: their commitment to public media is inspiring, and they make sure every mistake I make is an opportunity to learn and grow.

    You can read my work by visiting https://current.org/author/gabe-ferris/.

     
  • socdeansintern 11:00 am on September 2, 2021 Permalink
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    All Hands on Deck at NBC4 

    By Dean’s Intern Sophia Solano at NBC4

    Sophia SolanoThis summer, I’ve had the privilege of interning with the NBC4 Washington digital team. I’ve wanted to be a reporter for as long as I can remember, but this internship has shown me just how many other important, fast-paced, and fun jobs there are all across the newsroom — and on the digital team, I got to do a bit of everything.

    On any given day, I’ll sit down at my desk and watch the hours fly by as I pitch and report original stories about the unique going-ons in our flourishing city. As soon as the afternoon news shows start airing, it’s all hands on deck; whether its clipping news stories into videos to put on the website, recording breaking news, or rewriting reporter’s stories to flow in a digital format, knowing I’m contributing essential information to the DMV community is always gratifying.

    When they’re able to step away from the hustle and bustle of the TV newsroom, the staff is kind enough to spend time talking with us interns about their careers. I’ve gotten to know some of the most incredible people, including producers, reporters, and members of the investigative team. They’ve shown me that each role is essential to a functioning newsroom — and just how important and fulfilling these roles can be. It’s so exciting to see all the different paths open to young reporters.

    Though my time at News4 is nearing its end, the skills and relationships I’ve developed this summer have been essential to my growth as a journalist. I’ve learned that local news is critical to build an informed and connected community, and I’m eager to continue my career in local journalism!

     
  • socdeansintern 10:56 am on September 2, 2021 Permalink
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    Traversing the Inevitable Bumps in the Road 

    By Dean’s Intern Katy Grossman at Voice of America

    Katy GrossmanMy internship with Voice of America’s documentary department began during a transitional period: the Senior Executive Producer with whom I am working released her most recent film earlier this year, and much of our time in the beginning of the Summer was spent brainstorming documentary ideas and holding informational interviews with possible subjects. Some of those interviews went more smoothly than others; this is a story about the latter.

    As a government agency, some of VOA’s programming is inspired by the current administration’s focus and pet projects. In this case, we were asked to look into possible documentaries about climate change and specifically climate refugees, using a character-driven approach that would use an activist as the main focal point for the piece. Through our research, we discovered an activist that we thought could be interesting: a Chinese teenager who had been arrested and kicked out of school for her protests outside her local municipal building. We learned that she was currently in Berlin, which would make her much easier to film than if she were in China, and set out to try and talk to her.

    I sent her a private message through Twitter, and we exchanged numbers on an encrypted messaging app. This is where everything went downhill. Keep in mind that she is six hours ahead of us.

    9:16am

    Me: Hi, this is Katy Grossman – I sent you a message on Twitter about a potential climate change documentary. Would you be available for a call today?

    8:53pm

    Her: Yes, is it possible to have a call with you tomorrow at 1:30pm GMT+2?

    Note – the time she offered at 9pm would be 7:30am EST the next morning. My boss was not inclined to accept.

    8:57pm

    Me: Would you be able to do 4pm your time? Otherwise, we could potentially do 1:30/2 on a different day.

    The only response I received was a thumbs down reaction an hour later. Is this normal Zoomer communication or something more? As a 30-year-old, I wasn’t sure.

    So began several weeks of phone tag across the Atlantic. We did eventually manage to get her on the phone at a more reasonable time, although she showed up for the 8am phone call at 9:00. After talking for some time and sending her more information about our project, we planned another call for the following day. Unfortunately, we never got her on the phone again. After another week and a half of planning a call and then getting no answer, we decided to pivot our focus to other projects with more responsive people.

     
  • socdeansintern 1:02 pm on August 19, 2021 Permalink
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    From Main Street to Wall Street: My Time at the Fox Business Network 

    By Dean’s Intern Olivia Tinari at Fox Business Network

    Olivia TinariThis summer, I was honored to work as an Assignment Desk College Associate (Intern) with the Fox Business Network. The Fox Business Network (FBN) is a financial news channel delivering real-time information across all platforms that impact both Main Street and Wall Street.

    Over the course of the internship, I have had the opportunity to dive deep into the business broadcast industry and gain practical experience while interning for one of the largest media and entertainment companies in the world. Notably, I was able to participate in real-world projects. This allowed me to gain valuable work experience and attain new leadership skills. With the internship being remote, I was able to work with both the New York and Washington DC Bureaus to observe all of the moving parts behind the network. As a business minor, I was also able to bring the business knowledge that I have learned at American University to work on eventual aired topics and programming. I actually pitched and wrote some captivating news stories on a variety of business topics. On the production side, I was able to cut, edit, and plug-in video elements in the iNews rundown using Dalet. I assisted reporters, producers and editors on news and editorial decisions. The most interesting part of the program was being able to shadow different editors, producers and reporters on assignment. This gave me the best vision of what it is really like to work at a major news agency.

    Importantly, I eventually understood that the assignment desk is the center of the newsroom, always carrying the weight of the remainder of the agency “on its shoulders.” The assignment editors are the individuals responsible for finding and organizing the news of the day, while always staying on top of breaking stories while anticipating the ever changing story lines.

    The FOX internship program as a whole focused on a variety of professional development opportunities. FOX presented a diversity of panels, discussions, presentations, networking events and training that were geared to advancing my knowledge of the industry.

    With my internship coming to an end, my experience has been nothing short of enriching and a truly once in a lifetime opportunity. I am looking forward to applying the knowledge that I gained at the Fox Business Network to my future studies and experiences in the broadcast news industry.

    Here is a sample of one of my stories that went on air that I pitched and helped research:

    https://video.foxbusiness.com/v/6266531128001#sp=show-clips

     

     
  • socdeansintern 12:00 pm on August 17, 2021 Permalink
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    Breaking News at Bloomberg 

    By Dean’s Intern Daniel Papscun at Bloomberg Industry Group

    Daniel PapscunHow do you break news about the Teamsters, one of the largest and most famous American labor unions? I didn’t know, at least not until an editor at Bloomberg Law asked me to help preview an upcoming Teamsters convention. When I dove into the assignment with another reporter, working quickly to develop sources in the storied union, I discovered rumblings that the five-year convention could spark the biggest organizing drive in Teamsters history by targeting Amazon for unionization.

    Our first story on the subject highlighted my scoop, which was later confirmed by Motherboard and then came to pass as the union delegates voted overwhelmingly in favor of the action.

    My summer on Bloomberg Law’s Labor and Employment desk was one of the most fulfilling and pivotal of my life. I learned to write for a specific legal audience, break news of lawsuits and court filings, dive deep into the minutiae of court decisions, and build robust data and enterprise stories on everything from the trend of museum workers unionizing to what a Democratic-majority National Labor Relations Board could mean for graduate student unions.

    Over ten weeks and two dozen stories, I’ve discovered that labor reporting is a passion of mine. The beat isn’t just limited to unions, either: I wrote twice about the NCAA, covered the legal issues that stem from using TikTok for hiring, and delved into some of GrubHub’s current litigation.

    It’s worth exploring new beats whenever the opportunity arises, I’ve learned, and I can’t wait for my next chance.

     
  • socdeansintern 1:13 pm on August 16, 2021 Permalink
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    Behind the Scenes of Making Documentaries at Voice of America 

    By Dean’s Intern Joe Kelly at Voice of America

    Joe KellyIt’s hard for me to summarize my internship at Voice of America this past summer in just a short paragraph.  Throughout the last few months, I have worked for the award-winning documentary team at VOA with the extremely talented Beth Mendelson. One thing that I have learned in the documentary-making process is that it takes not one, not two, not three….well to be honest I’m not sure how many times it takes to redo a proposal because we still haven’t been approved for our upcoming VOA 80th Anniversary film.  It takes a lot of work, but I am so extremely grateful to be a part of what I know will be an excellent documentary when it finally comes out this February. Writing a proposal takes a lot of thinking, writing, and reworking.  There are times when Beth, Katy, and I will just start laughing because we’re all so exhausted.  I am also getting to see how a government agency works, which is very interesting.  I have been able to partake in phone calls and meetings with fellow VOA employees, potential interview subjects, and many more during my time here. Just last week, we spoke with a Russian journalist who was tortured and nearly killed simply for reporting the truth in her country. I get to hear amazing stories like this almost everyday.  Finally, Beth has an amazing sense of humor which makes the day extremely enjoyable.  A few days ago, I mistakenly confused former Taliban leader Mullah Omar with a friend of Beth’s that we were considering interviewing.  “No Joe, Mullah Omar and I have not broken bread” she jokingly said.  Not one of my smartest moments, to say the least.

     
  • socdeansintern 1:39 pm on August 5, 2021 Permalink
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    Reporting Breaking News at Voice of America 

    By Dean’s Intern Skye Witley at Voice of America

    Skye WitleyThis summer, I joined the Voice of America as a reporting intern for the organization’s News Center Hub, where I produce web-based articles about domestic and international issues each day. Voice of America is a government-funded news organization primarily focused on providing news to the world in over 40 languages.

    In this general assignment role, I’ve expanded my repertoire of political reporting by covering a broad range of assignments, from Supreme Court decisions to Congressional hearings to developments with the military junta in Myanmar. I covered the niche public media beat in my previous Dean’s Internship, so having the opportunity to work for a significantly larger and more national-facing organization has been an exciting change of pace. Working as a VOA intern over the past two months has certainly piqued my interest in pursuing some form of political reporting in my fast-approaching journalism career.

    One of my favorite aspects of writing at VOA has been the emphasis on quick story turnarounds, a muscle that I haven’t had the opportunity to strengthen as much at my previous internships. Thanks to guidance from a vast team of editors and lots of practice, I’ve learned how to turn around a comprehensive story in half the time it used to take me. By developing this skill at VOA, I can now meet the tight deadlines editors set for me and produce multiple stories in one day, an ability that I know will continue to grow and benefit me for years to come.

    With only two semesters left in my undergraduate career, I consider my time at VOA to be a perfect stepping stone towards more political reporting opportunities and I’m excited to see what the future holds.

    Here is a link to most of my VOA articles:

    https://www.voanews.com/author/skye-witley

     

     
  • socdeansintern 12:33 pm on August 5, 2021 Permalink
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    Becoming Comfortable with the Unknowns: Learning the Ins and Outs of Political Reporting 

    By Dean’s Intern Kaela Roeder at The Durango Herald

    Kaela RoederThe main lesson I have learned while interning at The Durango Herald this summer is that each day is more unpredictable than the last when working as a journalist. A lawmaker can post a scandalous tweet or scuffles can happen on the Senate floor — nothing is off the table.

    A typical week for me at The Herald begins with reviewing the congressional schedule and noting any meetings related to Southwest Colorado and its leaders. I’ve been following Sens. Michael Bennet and John Hickenlooper and Rep. Lauren Boebert in their policymaking and had the opportunity to interview them on a variety of topics including wildfires prevention and the infrastructure bill. Day-to-day, I’ll speak with local organization leaders in Colorado and review upcoming relevant bills.

    Visiting the newsroom in Durango has been a highlight. Working with colleagues and brainstorming in person after many months of isolation reignited my passion for journalism.

    Navigating Congressional halls this summer has been a learning curve, but I have learned many skills I will take with me in my career. My American University degree has helped me in the adjustment, as well. I am incredibly grateful to have studied journalism in the nation’s capital.

    While interning, I’ve had the opportunity to work as a freelance journalist for the paper to produce additional content, as well. In July, I covered the long-awaited Redwine murder trial where a father was convicted of murdering his son in 2012.

    Read my work: https://www.durangoherald.com/search/?q=kaela+roeder

     
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