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By Dean’s Intern Cindy Choi at NBC4 Washington
I started working as a digital intern for NBC Washington in May after I graduated from the journalism graduate program at American University.
I was eager to work for the digital team to become a better writer and showcase my digital skill set. My responsibilities were to write and produce stories for online with a focus on video creation. I had opportunities to shoot video and write digital stories for various assignments, like honeybee sustainability and a burger eating contest.
The most interesting project I worked on was creating a podcast in Spanish for Telemundo 44. Prior to my graduate studies, I’ve worked as the sound engineer for season one of “Felonious Florida,” a true-crime podcast that explores notorious murders in the Sunshine State. My experience led me to help launch the podcast project on MS-13 threats in the District and complete three episodes.
For two weeks, I gathered reporter’s scripts, collected sound effects and music to recreate the broadcast packages. I learned how sound was different between TV and audio, so the reporter’s re-tracked their script in an audio booth.
The challenge was understanding the story and adding the right pause in the track for emphasis. Both teams at NBC Washington and Telemundo 44 were helpful and patient as I edited sound. The podcast has not been aired yet, but I hope I did a good job and look forward to hearing the episodes online.
Thanks to this amazing opportunity, I became a better multimedia journalist with strong content to show on my website.
After spending this past summer at PBS Headquarters as their Multi-platform Production and Content Intern, I can confidently say that my skills and knowledge within the film industry have soared far beyond my expectations, and I’ve gained an incredible amount of experience that I am immensely grateful for.
On my first day working at NPR, I, along with nearly 80 other star-struck and eager interns, watched 
These little moments mean the world to these tour guests, who have traveled from across the country to visit our headquarters. Some listeners have spent their mornings and afternoons with us since they were children and now convince their own kids to carry on the tradition. It is always a pleasure and an honor to meet them – especially when there’s a dog involved.
As a documentary intern for Voice of America, my primary responsibilities include conducting research, writing project proposals and shadowing the team’s production process. This summer, the documentary unit has been working on a five-part series highlighting the fight for press freedom in Turkey. At the center of this fight are journalists who sacrifice their freedom and safety for the sake of the public’s right to know the truth.
I had little knowledge about the issues surrounding press freedom in Turkey prior to being hired for this position. Three months later, I’ve come out of this internship with a vast knowledge on the matter. One of the main reasons that I am drawn to journalism is the ability to educate the public on stories that matter. My experience at Voice of America reaffirmed my commitment to this cause. My contribution to the documentary unit will help to educate viewers from all over the world about an issue that is still plaguing Turkey in 2019. The documentary’s relevance rings true today, as the country remains the world’s worst jailer of journalists.
Two Days at APCO: “Welcome to your first day at APCO. Please follow me to the 11th floor conference room for orientation,” a Human Resources employee said to a group of interns sitting in a waiting room. I was very nervous on my first day at APCO Worldwide; this was an internship I have wanted for over two years, so I was eager to start orientation and get working. The interns and I were taken to the 11th floor conference room where they had folders with our names on them and leather notebook covers with the company’s name stitched on the front of the covers. We reviewed the company’s policies and went over training and office protocol then each intern was introduced to their intern coordinators and taken to their desks. By my second day at APCO I was off to work.
I am still in awe that, as an employee, I am able to step into this enormous glass building on Pennsylvania Avenue that I once admired as a visitor. I am extremely grateful for this opportunity to work for the Newseum at this location before they close their doors at the end of this year. Although I only just began my internship last week, I have already participated in valuable learning experiences.
The slogan at Voice of America is “A Free Press Matters.” My time as a VOA intern showed me the meaning of this phrase, and the organization’s commitment to it.
I shifted my weight, trying to ease the blisters forming against my brand new flats. The glare of camera lights and the barely-contained energy of a press line only served to highlight my discomfort. It was my third week as the Colorado congressional reporter for The Durango Herald. And I was covering the State of the Union.