Dossier – A Journalist’s Notebook…

One of the reasons I created the Breaking into Broadcasting Project is very personal: I think back to how challenging it was for me starting out as an intern and first year reporter. Going from a college environment into a commercial newsroom setting can be a very steep learning curve because the two are very different worlds. Most students don’t seem to realize this until they’ve learned it through trial and error. Thankfully, I grew past the hard knocks to continue on with an enjoyable and successful career in television news, but getting here wasn’t easy.

I remember going into my news internship feeling quite accomplished, relative to my successes in college. I had just landed a one-on-one, two-camera interview with the then Governor George W. Bush for a story in my broadcast class. My exclusive with the Governor was part of a trio of stories that later helped me to win a national award through the William Randolph Hearst Foundation. As a college student anxious to get started, I thought, “internship? I’m ready for this! Let’s do it!”

Then came my first day in the fast-paced, high-pressure world of daily news. Oh, how quickly my college friend “Naivety” was body-slammed by by a 365 pound sumo wrestler named “Reality”! The first thing I noticed was the yelling in the newsroom. Some people yelling just to yell, it seemed! Others barking orders across the room: “Joe, we’ve got five minutes before show! Where are the scripts? It’s your job to have them here – right now! Where are they? Where are they?” “Coming! Coming,” Joe screamed back. Fair to say, it was all quite overwhelming. I sat at the assignment desk that first day – an intern – reasonably frozen in my seat.

Things only got tougher through the course of that three month internship. On top of it all, I was paired with a reporter who didn’t really seem interested in working with interns. Overall, it was a great learning experience but when it was over, I do clearly remember wishing that I would have accomplished more, and made fewer intern mistakes.

The best way to make the most of your internship is know what to do – and what not to do – well in advance of ever stepping foot in a newsroom. That’s why I take personal pleasure working with beginners to help them avoid some of the disappointments I experienced starting out. I am a big believer in the concept of giving back, and paying good will forward. I am excited about the potential the BiB project has to help students better prepare for “Reality” to get ahead of the game.

Whether you are a beginner or a veteran in the business, I would love to hear your stories about internships! Feel free to share, in the comments section of the “journalist’s notebook”. Keep it civil though!