Summer Internships in the Students' Own Words
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CUNYINSIDE GRADUATE SCHOOL OF JOURNALISMSTORY • THE CITY UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK • F A L L 2 0 0 9 • WWW.JOURNALISM.CUNY.EDU Summer Internships in the Students’ Own Words ROM MANHATTAN to Moscow, students at the CUNY Graduate School of Journalism continued to break new ground with their summer internship experiences. This past summer, students from the Class of 2009 forged relationships with new internship partners, including Al Jazeera English and WRXP-FM in New York, WKBW-TV in Buffalo, The Times of India in Mumbai, Reuters in Brussels, and the Associated Press in Moscow. They also worked with familiar Femployers such as NBC Local Integrated Media, The New York Times, and WNYC radio. “Employers continue to compliment our students on their work,” said William Chang, the J-School’s director of career services. “I’m already looking forward to seeing where the next class will land internships.” The paid summer internship program is a unique feature of the CUNY J-School. As part of the curriculum, all students work as interns for professional media organizations between the second and third semesters. The practical work experience is its own reward, and it becomes a huge plus when new graduates make their way into the job market. But the School makes the deal even sweeter by guaranteeing all interns are paid at least $3,000 for 10 or 12 weeks of labor. Twice during the summer, students are required to file reports with the J-School on their internship adventures. What follows are excerpts from some of the Class of ‘09 reports. Nicholas Martinez borhood in the greater Buffalo area. A Aisha Al-Muslim, WKBW-TV, Buffalo worked with the reporter and a photographer were sent out pros at NBC News. T SEVERAL MEDIA CONVENTIONS I attended, and I tagged along. We listened to the journalists warned that their business was changing. I scanner as we drove to the location of the Acould see some of the signs during my summer robbery to find out who the police were looking for, descrip- internship at WKBW-TV in Buffalo. On a Sunday night, only tions of the armed gunman, and the status of locating him. Nicholas C. Martinez, NBC News, New York a director of operations and a producer were in the control I found that being able to listen to over 10 scanners going Y EXPERIENCES at NBC ranged from the mun- room. I expected at least eight people like I saw at my intern- off at the same time could be an asset to any station. Most dane to the exciting: from logging b-roll for a story ship at WABC-TV in New York City. people in the newsroom can’t decipher the messages sent over Mon a cancer research to chasing down flight atten- At WKBW, the director preprogrammed the camera shots the radio. If I learned to do it as a reporter, I would be a dants at Newark Airport all the while streaming live video and was in charge tremendous help back to the WNBC control room. of operating the to any assign- I covered former President George H.W. Bush’s ritual birth- cameras during the ment editor. day skydive, pitched stories to NBC Nightly News, WNBC, show. But it wasn’t I have learned and the Today Show, and even bumped into Late Night’s always like that. over time that Jimmy Fallon in the NBC hallways - literally. Management had newsrooms all What will I remember most? Well, I had a chance to lunch made the decision over the country with a Nightly News correspondent at a Friendly’s in to cut production make different Connecticut - and he paid the bill. jobs in order to ethical decisions. Here's the story: Ron Allen pitched a story about Muslim reduce spending. At the station Americans' reactions to President Obama's speech in Cairo in That same night, where I interned, June. I was asked to help him research mosques in Newark, NJ. what was sup- Facebook and He found a Muslim family in Connecticut who produced posed to be the 11 Myspace were religious sensitivity and awareness videos for law enforcement o’clock news was used only to and medical institutions nationwide. Since I helped them do pre-taped because help locate a research on the couple and log video for snappy quotes, he and management was subject, but his producer Carla Marcus brought me along to Hartford as concerned that if information or Aisha Al-Muslim Ron worked his magic: He interviewed the couple in their an NBA Finals pictures accessi- reports for Channel 7 home and shadowed them as they attended Friday prayers at game went into ble on the page in Buffalo. their local mosque. overtime, they were not used in It was a day of firsts for me: I ended up taking the first yel- would have to pay any story. I think low taxicab ride of my life. I attended my first Muslim prayer employees over- this is a smart service (shoeless I might add,) and I had a look at the behind- time. and precautionary decision because anyone can be whoever the-scenes work that went into producing a Nightly News spot. I learned that the radio scanners are one way the assign- he or she wants to be online. When I went out in the field The story turned out great (it aired on the Weekend ment editors decide what should be covered. On the first day with a crew, I learned that you should not shoot on private Nightly News) and I had a chance to pick the brain of a very of my internship, a message came on the scanner about a property without permission, unless it is a shot of the door accomplished reporter and producer. He answered all of my “Mercy Flight.” I was told it meant that a serious accident just knocker. Also it is best to avoid shooting license plates because questions and gave me valuable insight into the world of a occurred because a Mercy Flight is called when an emergency they can identify people who might not be relevant. traveling foreign correspondent. He’s a good man, someone I involves a head injury. My internship at WKBW-TV was an eye-opening experi- am proud to say that I worked with. Another time a message came over the scanner about a ence into how a smaller newsroom works in comparison to a And I don’t say that only because he bought me lunch. bank robbery at a KeyBank in Williamsville, a wealthy neigh- larger market like New York City. Please turn to Page 5 • Dean’s Corner • Commencement • Recruiting • Report from • Thanks to our • School • New Yorker Editor Speaker Season Aspen Donors Notes Speaks IN THIS ISSUE Huffington to Speak Finding New Ways to Connect With Applicants At ’09 Commencement T WAS A TYPICAL DAY at the CUNY J-School: a class attended the South by Southwest Interactive Festival in RIANNA HUFFINGTON, editor-in-chief and co- in news photography in one room, a freelance workshop Austin, Tex. While the admissions people were manning an Afounder of The Huffington Post, will be the keynote Iin another. Or was it? The month was August, not a information booth, the others were out reporting on the speaker at the Class of 2009’s graduation ceremony on time school is normally in session. And none of the 50 or so event and the city of Austin for a new web feature called December 16. students was even enrolled. They were all applicants to the Road Trip (roadtrip.journalism.cuny.edu/). Launched in May 2005, the HuffPost has become an J-School’s Class of 2011. Since then, whenever a team from the J-School has gone influential media web site covering politics, business, The two special seminars were among seven included in on an out-of-town trip, such as to the Deutsche Welle technology, entertainment, and the green movement. It August Academy, a first-time production of the Office of Global Media Forum in Bonn, Germany in June or the is also a platform for thousands of bloggers who weigh in Admissions & Students Affairs. The admissions department National Association of Black Journalists’ annual convention on a wide range of topics. is always looking for new ways to reach out to prospective in Tampa, FL in August, they’ve showcased their work on Huffington, who writes a nationally syndicated politi- students and the 2009 the Road Trip site. cal column for Tribune Media August Academy – “Such activities have Services, is a frequent television modeled on the suc- helped raise the J- commentator, with appearances cessful January School’s profile with on such shows as “Charlie Rose,” Academy enrichment potential students on “Larry King Live,” and “The series for students - the national and O’Reilly Factor.” She is the author was one of several international stage,” of 12 books, including Right is innovative programs Dougherty said. Wrong: How the Lunatic Fringe added to the recruit- The added recruit- Hijacked America, Shredded the ment calendar this ment efforts have sup- Constitution, and Made Us All year. plemented monthly Less Safe. “August Academy is information sessions In 2009, Forbes magazine meant to kick off a at the J-School as well named her to its list of Most long-term relationship as invitations for Influential Women in Media. She with applicants,” said Arianna Huffington prospective students has also appeared on the Time Admissions Director to sit in on classes and 100, Time’s list of the 100 most influential people in the Stephen Dougherty.