What’s Different (and the Same) from the Last Internship

 

It seems a lot of people have appreciated my list of lessons from last week and it got me thinking about the things I learned last year, during my fall internship with MLive, and what I could be learning this summer. Although I am working in the same offices, with most of the same people, there are a few key differences between my internships that could change what kind of content I produce.

DIFFERENCES

• Time of the year: The fall is usually pretty busy in regards to the news; elections, back-to-school and construction sites putting the last touches on brand-new buildings. Summers in Saginaw get a bit crazy; crime rate spikes are attributed to increased gang activity during warmer months so I am expecting to hear more gunshots and possibly report on shootings or injuries within the area.
• Intern team: Last year, I worked with Emily Pfund and Josh Roesner on stories like Doomsday prophecies, the long-anticipated Twilight release and police beats. We had a lot of fun and I’m glad to say they have both moved on to adult jobs at their own chosen publications. I’m excited to get to know Darcie Moran from Michigan State University, the newest intern at The Saginaw News.
• Experience: Although my first day was mostly spent getting back into the system and clearing out my overstuffed inbox, I was able to post and get back into the swing of things relatively quickly. Since I am familiar with the systems in place at the office, it helped streamline the process of making contacts and working on story projects with other reporters at the Saginaw News. 

SIMILARITIES

• Same office: Even though I started my internship last year in the office of The Bay City Times, renovations were soon completed at Saginaw and we were able to see our beautiful new office in the downtown area’s Ippel Building. I know how to get there at least four different ways and it’s a central location. Great for meeting for interviews, catching up with coworkers or going out to eat for a break during the day.
• Same editors: I am pretty fortunate to have the editors I work with on a daily basis. Since the beginning, they have supported me, encouraged me and nudged me in the right direction. Ever since I met my boss Rob Clark at the Michigan Press Association, he has given me chances to shine, improve my writing styles and helped me stand out  from a crowd of other interns. When this summer internship become available and someone was needed in a hurry, I was the first one called and I’m grateful to have that sort of influence.
• Same purpose: Journalism is not a dying breed but it is definitely changing. But the one thing I like about this career is my motivation stays the same: Inform the public, educate the community and engage residents. My time at MLive has helped me help others and made me realize it is not just a reporter’s job I want, but the responsibilities of being a journalist. 

 

Thanks for hanging in while I reflect back and look forward to the future with my new internship. I was supposed to work a night shift today but got up early to shoot some pictures of local apple orchards for a story I wrote about the recent weather. The full article is available here if you would like to see the gallery and learn more about the predicted crop this year. Have a great day!