Summer Media Internship

I didn’t think that that much thought really went into hiring employees. I know that cover letters, resumes, etc. can be pretty stiff and impersonal, so you need to find a way to sift out someone who is reliable and genuine, but this guy was really trying to psych the candidates out. I guess that’s (somewhat) refreshing, it keeps you on your toes. I must say, though, I really hate those questions where they ask what your biggest weakness is or in this case “dark side” of your personality.

Hello, my name is Michele Runko and I am interning as an editorial assistant at the Children’s PressLine of the Daily News.  My responsibilities during the 10 weeks that I am here are assisting Queens, Bronx and Brooklyn Editorial Coordinators researching stories and setting up interviews with sources, transcribing interviews, assisting youth writers in the writing process (ie coming up with questions and getting them ready for interviews), copy editing stories, writing stories for the Children’s PressLine newsletter, serving as editorial coordinator for an annual story with Joel Klein.

It has been a great experience thus far showing me what a challenge it can be coming up with solid news stories that a children’s angle can be taken on.  This internship has had my patience grow immensely due to dealing with all types of personalities with the children ranging from ages 8-18.

When I got this position my goal was to grasp any work experience within a newsroom and a deadline based atmosphere.  It has been great and I  plan on taking all that I have learned here along with me to future jobs.

     For someone who heads in exercise company, Carl Diehl sure put a lot of thought into that application process (Muscles and brains? Go figure!). And yes, the personality trait test was a clever way to select the best candidate, but most employers usually want to hear that their potential employees/interns are born leaders, hard workers, organized, etc. In other words, it’s hard to tell your boss anything but good traits about yourself when you want to get a job, especially in a time where jobs are so rare.
     In terms of journalism careers, the quality of your work will always surpass who you know when getting a job. I remember the first story I ever wrote for a paper (the Hudson Reporter) was just a cold pitch, not having known anyone who wrote for the paper. This leads me to believe that if your writing is exceptional, you’ll find your name in print regardless of having “ins” in the company, and in my case, previous job experience. Since journalism is a second to second writing process, “what have you written for me lately?” becomes “what are you writing for me now?” Job experience is always a good sign that you’re can accomplish a task, but again, as long as your current story is well-written, little else matters (I’m speaking here in terms of freelance story pitches, not fulltime employment).
     For the internship I’m working in now, it was simply a resume sent in an email, a brief interview, and a phone call saying that I got the job. After realizing how mundane the internship could be, I actually asked my supervisor if anyone applicants did not get the job.She said yes. One prospect was denied after he sent in a resume for a completely different job. Perhaps the simplicity of the application process should have been a red light to me about the austerity of my internship…

My internship is unpaid, however, the company pays for my lunch (up to $10 daily) and for a metrocard, although only the exact cost of travel to and from their offices ($13/week).

My tasks are varied; some are menial, while others mirror tasks which would be assigned to any paid employee. A perfect example of deciding what’s appropriate and what exploitation is is my day, yesterday.

Yesterday, I spent 13 hours in studio. We were shooting videos for BE’s upcoming iPad app.  Some of my duties included having breakfast catered, meeting guests as they arrived at the studio, directing them, making sure they were always comfortable, along with several other errands.  I feel that these tasks are normal, and can (and should) be handled by any intern. My other tasks were a bit more involved, however. I sat right next to the producers, and the VP Director of Broadcast, as we shot clips for the app. They listened carefully as each guest spoke, making sure that their lines were said clearly and correctly. They made sure the shots were right, and edited scripts to perfection. As I said, I was sitting with them; I did far more than sit, though. I did the same work. Several times, I caught errors which they missed, and made suggestions which were very helpful in production. I also, in several instances, helped fixed the guests hair and makeup, despite the fact that a makeup artist was present; she was paid $650 for the day.

At the end of the 13 hour day, one of my supervisors, a production associate, arranged for a limousine to pick me up and take me home, saving me an hour-and-a-half long commute, and keeping my pennies in my pocket. The ride cost the company close to $90.

As interns, we are exploited. Because I attend summer classes at Baruch and go to my internship (oftentimes more than the 13 hours I am scheduled for weekly), I don’t really have time to work. I need to be paid. I wouldn’t even ask for more than minimum wage, a small stipend would do. I feel that the company often wastes money in areas which could be used to pay me. I do the same work as paid employees, so much that if I didn’t make it known that I was an intern, no one would know.

On the other hand, the value of experience is so great that it contributes to me being paid in the future. I am treated very well at BE, with great respect and kindness. Although I always do what I am asked, they’ve never put me in the position to be the “get the coffee” kind of intern. The company takes excellent care of me. Like I said, I have a daily $10/limit for lunch, but yesterday, I had 3 catered meals just like everyone else. They also made sure that I got home safely, and comfortably. When it comes time for their two shows to air on television, my name will be rolling in the credits.

So what’s the point of the story? This is something which will always be up for debate. I can neither agree nor disagree. It’s a win/lose/win situation. I can only compare this to being kidnapped (at will?) by a family richer than your own, who takes care of you as long as you walk the dog and wash the dishes. *shrug*

My name is Jade Williams and my summer Media Internship is in the Broadcast department of Black Enterprise. This post is a little late (more than a little) because I just registered for the course on Thursday.
I started my internship in early June, and so far, my duties and responsibilities have been to: research possible story ideas and guests for BE’s two shows, contact prospective guests, coordinate production logistics during show tapings and shoots, perform light clerical duties, and assist my supervisors with whatever needs assisting.
Some of my goals include:
1. To learn about how a television show is produced
2. Sharpen my writing skills
3. Get a tan (Just making sure you’re paying attention)
4. Learn how a professional story/script is written

To be honest, I don’t have much experience applying for jobs. But what I have found so far, for myself at least, is that it’s very easy to forget that there will be a real live person reading your resume and cover letter. The few cover letters I’ve written have been pretty formulaic. I kind of figured that it’s the meat of my resume- the education and experience parts- that employers really care most about. This was a good reminder that you have to portray yourself as a real person with innovative, creative ideas to stand out from all the other, equally qualified, applicants out there.

It is a bleak market for journalist looking to work in the newspaper industry, but since jobs are changing with the digital realm, so have interview techniques and methods. The interview process as laid out by the article was extremely creative in my opinion, I thought it was very thorough and unique, and at the same time, tough. Since there are fewer positions to be offered, it seems as if employers are doing more to weed out the cream of the crop. It stated that the organization was looking for an intern, but his/her duty extended far beyond a simple intern, as they were expected to be able to help expanding the company through creative strategies. Interns are doing more and more these days.
Additionally, sending resumes are easy done via the internet. It makes sense that most resumes seem as if the person is gloating on paper. We are all taught to do write a resume in this way. However, it is hard to stand out in a pile of 500 when each person may be well qualified. Apply for jobs is a grueling process but I believe, the more interviews we go on, the better at it we get.

Applying for a job is disconcerting not only because of its competitive and uncertain nature, but because of things like cover letters and resumes and lists of references and all the other rigid paperwork that must be double spaced in 12-point font and formatted to meet a very particular standard of organization, etc., etc. After decoding and attaining the strange forms that all professional documents must be, it’s no wonder that applicants don’t spend too much time thinking creatively — I mean, they’ve just spent a couple of hours preparing to applying by cramming their life experience in a resume-shaped hole for their employer’s convenience. If bosses want an imaginative workforce, it may help if they didn’t make all the applicants jump through those same old tired hoops.