JCA's Internship Blog

Nickelodeon Digital Internship

2008-10-04T15:47:00.000-07:00

This summer I got the opportunity to intern at Nickelodeon, which is actually run by MTV Networks. The internship was in New York City where MTV is based. I was mostly involved with Nickelodeon's Web sites like NickJr.com and ParentsConnect.com, which a fairly new Web site dedicated to providing caretakers with information about kids and growing up. The experience I got at Nick was unlike anything I have ever done in the classroom. While classes are great for preparation, there is nothing like working for a real and respected corporation that produces so many things that are utilized by socitey.

My main respinsibilites included inputting information onto the Web sites and coming up with some new, creative ideas for the digital department. Nickelodeon was also such a great place to intern because it is truely on the cutting edge of technology. I was lucky enough to attend the annual meeting between all of the Nick departments and while the information I was given is confidential, it was obvious that they are always working on the next big thing, and with a corportaion like MTV behind them, they have the means to do it.

If anyone is interested in becoming involved with the Web or anything that has to do with graphic design and video games this is really the place to go. It is one of the departments in Nick that gets overlooked so applying to this department specifically could give you an advantage in getting an internship with MTV.

If nothing else, spenidng the summer in Manhattan was absolutely the best decision I have made in a long time. After being a long-time critic of the city, my mind was completely changed after living there for three months. I realized that this is where I want to be for my career and for my life. Even though there are plenty of places where jounalists succeed in the market, in my opinion, there is nothing like New York City.

Creative Loafing Atlanta

2008-09-30T08:18:00.000-07:00

Creative Loafing, Inc.
Publishing company headquartered in Tampa, Fla. that operates publishes alternative newsweeklys out of Tampa Bay, Atlanta, Charolotte, Sarasota, Chicago and Washington D.C. with an emphasis on local news, food, music, and arts and entertainment. Creative Loafing Atlanta is the 2nd most broadly distrubted newsweekly in Georgia with a circulation of 112,000.

Creaive Loafing is edgy. It toys with controversy and borders on the line of inappropriate at times. It's not afraid to print the word "ass." Having never worked at an alternative publication before, I was surprised at how much creative freedom I had when it came to my articles. They were rarely edited to censor readership and encouraged writing what you see, regardless of how risque it might have been.

I was working the music department of the publication and was mostly an online writer. I frequently posted to the music blog, Crib Notes, and while at first I was a bit bummed not to see my byline in print, that quickly changed when I googled myself and saw how many hits my articles were getting. I was able to reach so many more people by sticking with online media. It's exhilarting. Plus, it taught me how to link and to write for an online audience, which is crucial if you're trying to get a job in media today. I was priviliaged to work with so many outstanding writers, and I'm a firm believer that if you surround yourself with good writers, you're writing is only going to get better.

I completely recommend this internship for any aspiring music and entertainment writer.

My Internship for The Hernando Today

2008-09-29T14:34:00.000-07:00

The summer after my freshmen year, I was fresh out of MMC2100 and ready for something more than the Donna Green Townsend squirrel story. I applied for an internship at my hometown newspaper, The Hernando Today, which is the local section of the Tampa Tribune. I was offered the position and couldn't wait to begin. I found out that not all internship applications are elaborate online documents, fluffed by letters of recommendations and inspirational essays. To obtain this internship, it was as simple as calling and inquiring about it. All I had to say was I attend the University of Florida J-School and I was practically in business (after a personal interview, of course).

As I arrived, the education reporter was leaving, so I took her place. For the first month I covered local school stories, including everything from teachers' summer vacation plans to FCAT scores. After the school year ended, I covered feature stories, which was my favorite part of the gig. I wrote one story about a woman who was turning 100 and her twin daughters wrote in to many famous actors and football and baseball teams and got personalized birthday cards and gifts from them. Another story I wrote was about two women who had been working at the local Dunkin' Donuts for 20 years and knew all of their customers by name and coffee order. It's that kind of small-town charm that I loved to incorporate in the stories, because that was at the heart of the newspaper. It's something that's slowly leaking out of newspapers and television as the Internet takes dominance with its quick-reads and instant news blurbs. What happened to just sitting down with a glass of orange juice and appreciating a good story? That's why I wanted to become a journalist.

Howard Group, Marketing and PR Internship

2008-09-27T06:02:00.001-07:00

I am an advertising major, but this summer I had a part time (20 hour, unpaid) marketing and public relations internship. Spring semester, I knew that I wanted a summer internship, so I made sure to pay attention to the internships that were sent on the listserv, but none were in my area (the panhandle.) So I started contacting agencies and large companies in my area and I received an e-mail from a Gator grad suggesting I apply for a summer internship. I applied and got the internship. Overall, it was okay, not great. It was a far drive from my house (summer traffic sucks) and it wasn't paid (sucks even more) and I was working part time as well to make up for the fact that I wasn't getting paid. The perk of the job was that they are a retail development company so I was able to get a job at Saks for the summer without having to go through a lengthy application process. The part of my internship that I really enjoyed was seeing the strategy and planning of marketing and I learned a great deal about the client side of advertising. What your client expects from your agency and how they handle deadlines. I wasn't interested in the PR aspect, so at least I learned that I don't want to do PR in the future. Overall, it was a good experience and I learned that even though it wasn't exactly what I wanted, I still could learn and get something out of it.

WPLG- Local 10 News- Miami, FL.

2008-09-19T21:31:00.001-07:00

Type of internship: Television (News)
Unpaid Internship, required college credit
Worked 4 days per week, 9 hours per day

I did a great mixture of things, from working with producers and production to working with reporters in the field. While I was working with the producers, I wrote many stories and learned how they formatted their shows specifically. You learn all the elements it takes to craft a newscast. I also chased stories with reporters. Going on stories with reporters and photographer is never the same day to day. You can be doing things like grabbing people for interviews, shooting stand-ups, grabbing elements you need outside of b-roll, and just overall assistance to the reporter and photographer. When I worked with the production crew, I did just about everything. I marked scripts and rundowns with directors before the show, I ran cameras for webcasts, I technical directed weather webcasts and LATV sportscasts, I did pre-pro for the newscasts among many other things. Unlike Andrew’s internship, WPLG is not automated. The cameras are robotic, but everything else has someone working it.

I learned a lot during this internship, and everyone at the station was wonderful about teaching. The best advice I could give on doing an internship is you get what you put into it. You must work hard, and do what you can to help them put their newscasts on air. Be curious about the operations around you, and ask questions! They know that an internship is a learning experience. Of course, timing is always important when asking your question. If it’s five minutes before the air time, it may not be the right time to ask the question. I absolutely loved this internship, and would recommend it to anyone who wants a flexible internship with great people.

If you have any questions about this internship, you can contact me through my email: mollymariehart@gmail.com.

Molly Hart
Telecom, News 09

Quinn & Co, New York, NY

2008-09-05T10:29:00.000-07:00

Type of internship: Public Relations
Paid or Unpaid: You can choose to either be paid or receive college credit.
How often I worked: 8 hours a day/5 days a week
Primary Responsibilities: They threw me into the action as soon as I arrived. I wrote press releases, interacted with journalists, compiled media lists, secured media placements and attend client and staff meetings.
What I learned: I learned how to manage my time and how to talk to media and clients in a professional manner. The PR environment is extremely fast-paced, so you must adapt quickly.
Overall reaction: I never expected to be given as much responsibility as I did. They trusted me to handle a lot of tasks that interns would normally not get to do. They respect all of their interns and really want you to learn while you are there. You have weekly meetings with a mentor you are assigned at the beginning of the internship. This mentor makes sure that you are comfortable with the work load and looks for feedback about how the internship is going or what you hope to acomplish. They truly had my best interests at heart.
Contact: Brooke Aronoff, 954-579-3008, bha1016@ufl.edu

Brooke Aronoff, Junior, Graduating Spring 2010

U.S. Senate Internship

2008-09-04T20:21:00.000-07:00

Where: Washington D.C.
Type: Unpaid

This summer, I was privileged enough to be able to accept an internship with U.S. Senator Bill Nelson, one of our very own state's Senators. I obtained the internship by replying to an e-mail sent through our school's listserv from Charles Harris. I spent the summer working as the press intern, getting to apply the skills I have learned from both my major, journalism, and my minor, communication studies. I was fortunate enough to work hand in hand with the Senator, accompanying him to studio interviews, on conference calls and to press conferences. I was even able to come out of the internship with a product: some sample intro speeches, media releases and story edits that I worked on.

News 12, Long Island, NY

2008-09-02T10:40:00.000-07:00

Type of internship: Television (News)
Unpaid Internship, required college credit
Worked 2 days per week, 8-9 hours per day

I worked one day in the studio per week. This included setting up the studio (moving cameras, checking and replacing studio lighting, replacing batteries in microphones and IFBs, etc.) before all shows, and operating the robotic cameras. I also worked one day in Master Control. This is the "last-step" before anything goes on air, and controls timing into and out of the newscasts and commercials. Most of this operation was automated.

The main thing I learned from this internship is that a lot of news operations are going automated. While this may make our jobs easier, it takes away a lot of the flexibility, responsibility, and creativity of skilled workers.

I enjoyed the internship a lot. This is a place I would enjoy working, and I think anyone considering working in live television or television news should definitely take on at least one internship before graduating.

If you would like to know more or have any questions for me, or if you think you might be interested in interning here, please send me an email: vogeney@gmail.com

Andrew Vogeney
Telecom News, 09