Internships: Why They Matter
Journalism isn’t learned in classrooms. The cornerstone of becoming a great journalist is being in the field, getting practice and becoming better just by “being in the room,” so to speak. Internships are one way students gain that experience, and that part of journalism education is suffering alongside the national economic picture.
Yesterday, I received this email from a recruiter at a newspaper I’d applied to. I won’t disclose the newspaper, but it’s a top 20 circulation paper in a major metropolitan area. Their internship offer, up until this point, had been one of the best — well paid, great track record of experience.
“This is to confirm receipt of your application for the summer program.
Unfortunately, because of economic times, we are unable to provide paid summer internships. We are however offering an academic program, which is a credit only program.”
Well, I thought to myself, that sucks. And then I tried to move on. I didn’t get far.
It was a little different than my average rejection letter, and it got me thinking about why internships matter and what happens when we stop being able to get them.
My experience at MU, using the Missouri Method to learn how to report well by doing has been valuable. This semester, at Missouri’s state capitol, I’ve interacted with legislators and policy makers on a daily basis, an experience that I think has been more telling about Missouri state government than any class I took while pursuing my now-abandoned political science degree.
No, I’m not paid for that experience - it’s tailor made to Missouri’s professional newsroom curriculum. But every school is not Missouri, and most schools have student newspapers led by students, not professional endeavors.
For those students, internship opportunities need to stick around. And they need to be paid. There’s this mentality that I hear that in an age where all mediums are struggling, we should take what we can get. I respect tenacity and drive, and if you can take an unpaid internship when it’s offered if it makes sense, you should go for it.
Last summer, I lived in Washington D.C., one of the most expensive cities, working for WashingtonPost.com. It was one of the best experiences of my life. I didn’t earn a dime. Now, I’m paying for it while working my way through school. It was a tough summer living off of virtually no income. With the time commitment of the internship, getting a part-time job would have been stretching myself too thin. I wouldn’t have gotten much out of it.
This summer, I’ve gotten fortunate, and have taken a paid internship in Texas. Hot weather, weekly salary. But as the media struggles, opportunities like mine are going to fade away. It’s my hope that student journalists find ways to get professional experience and mentorship, whether it’s freelancing or interning. You can’t become a reporter without reporting, and you don’t learn much by staying in the same place. But it’s also my hope that the big media giants out there continue to support the future of our shared profession by offering these crucial training opportunities.
And yes, a few dollars would help.
12 months ago - read more...
