Employers, employees and educators in the communication field are always emphasizing the importance of internships to students. Still unsure of what career I want, I decided to follow their advice; and found out how valuable the experience is. Interning showed me that knowledge obtained in the daily activity of a true newsroom is completely different from the textbook -- especially at 101.9 WDET FM. It also taught me a few things about myself as a person.

Assistant News Director and Editor Jerome Vaughn has created an excellent internship program at Detroit Public Radio. The first day, he dropped a huge stack of handouts on my desk that covered ethics, style and other important basics of news radio. He told me to read through them but also said that most of what I will learn would be through actual practice. He makes himself available to any and all questions, and he encourages interns to ask questions at any time; even if he looks busy. However, he also took time out of his own schedule to approach me and tell me things I should think about while writing and interviewing. As the time came, he taught me the proper usage of related equipment (i.e. the recorder, computer system, etc). When he edits my stories, he explains why I should change the wording.

The interns at WDET are treated as part of the news staff. We are not gophers. We do not have to practice our knowledge of the alphabet and file papers. We do not have to fill coffee cups with two spoonfuls of sugar and a splash of cream. We do not have to run to Tiffany�s to buy our boss� wife an anniversary gift. We do not sit in a chair staring at the wall. As Vaughn told me at the beginning, that will not benefit us. We are interning to learn about radio and will be treated as such. We are given assignments and expected to finish them by deadline. We are expected to act professionally and appropriately.

My daily activities at WDET include writing one or two stories as assigned by my editor. I start the day scanning the AP News Wire and reading the paper until given my assignments. After interviewing newsmakers, I complete various versions of one or two stories before my four o� clock deadline. Topics range from resignations to law changes to colleges to conferences. I shadowed another reporter at a political rally and after a little more experience, I may be able to do field work by myself.

At the beginning of the internship, I had five main goals: learn about the professional news world, obtain hands on experience, create connections in the business field, determine if I want this for a career and gain confidence in myself. I really did not know what to expect. I had taken courses in Journalism and Radio throughout the past six years, and enjoyed writing and reading aloud; but, as stated before, knowing something in theory is completely different from being able to actually do it. In classes, students are given weeks to write a story or finish a project. They do not get the chance to feel the pressure and adrenaline rush of having to gather all of the information and write the story in less than six hours. They also do not truly get the chance to feel the tedium and frustration of trying to catch a source. They also miss the pleasure of hearing their story or seeing their story published. I had to adapt to the style used and the pace of the day. Even if I learned what amplitude or frequency should make a voice sound best, I had to practice using the soundboard to make a clip sound better. Even though I have read books on how to conduct an interview, I had to develop better interviewing skills with strangers to get informative and tight answers. I had to learn the difference between public relations fluff and an excellent quote.

Above all, I had to develop my own self. The first day, I wanted to quit. Some of the staff had criticized me because I incorrectly answered the phone. The reasoning behind my anger was, �Well, no one told me... how was I supposed to know?� After more thought, I realized I should not take things so personally and it would be really stupid of me to quit over something so small and trivial. Criticism and sarcasm is going to occur at any job and any time. Besides, I had never asked how the phone should be answered. I am not sure my perfectionist tendencies would work well in this field though. I would rather not turn anything in than turn in slop. However, I realize in the news world, the story has to be finished and ready to go. On the other hand, my perfectionism would make sure everything was accurate.

I still have to learn to ignore my self-consciousness, self-doubt and shyness but as the weeks passed I felt slightly changed for the better. Later into the internship, I joined in the joking and friendly banter. When performing interviews, I feel much more relaxed; even though thinking on the spot is not yet a strong point. I am much more willing to call a source every hour until they call back without feeling like a pest.

Interning at 101.9 WDET FM is an excellent learning experience. The interns get true hands on practice and work as a reporter as opposed to a clerical assistant. They get to see how a real newsroom operates and how it contrasts with classroom theory. The co-workers can be a bit sarcastic but there are people like that at any job. I unfortunately did not take this opportunity to create a lot of business contacts. I feel I developed a good rapport with Vaughn and the rest of my co-workers though. I have no idea what career I want. I enjoy communications but I also enjoy international relations and languages. There are almost too many choices to choose from. If I decide not to go into Radio or Journalism, I will at least take from this internship the life lessons stated above and slightly improved social skills.

~* April 22, 2004 @ 3:45 pm *~