Internships: “Can I Help?”

Intern: “Can I help you with something?”

BiB Contributor | Haley Cihock

Like many producers and reporters, before answering that question, I instantly weigh how long it would take to teach the intern a certain task versus how long it would take me to do it myself. It’s unfair, but in a world of many looming deadlines, the bottom line is time. And often, I resort to doing the task myself.

The best interns don’t ask; they just do. They don’t wait to have an assignment handed to them – they assign a task to themselves.

Don’t know how to find an assignment? Start by learning the station’s rundown system and script style, as quickly as possible. That way, you know what’s needed without having to ask. Is there an interview not yet logged? Is there a vo/sot not yet written? Is there a hole in the rundown because the producer needs another story?

After that, you can write a vo/sot, log an interview, or pitch a story idea, and simply hand it to the reporter or producer. At that point, many of us will be very willing to edit what you’ve done, include it in the newscast, and go over any changes with you later.

Make yourself valuable, by saving what we value most: time.