SoJ Web Report | Aug. 29, 2008
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| Photo by Gena Asher |
| Senior Mike Sanserino (right) describes his summer internships during a panel discussion for new journalism majors Thursday. From left are assistant professor Lesa Hatley Major and IUSTV executive director Kaylyn Easton. |
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More than 150 freshman and new students listened as senior Kaylyn Easton of IUSTV, senior Mike Sanserino of the IDS, and juniors Lindsey Alexander and Natalie Avon, both of whom attended the Summer in London program, shared their experiences.
Their advice: Don’t wait to make the most of your opportunities. For example, it’s never too early to think about internships.
“You can’t wait to start looking for internships,” said Sanserino, who has interned at the South Bend Tribune, Fort Wayne News Sentinel and, as a Poynter Scholar, the St. Petersburg Times. He now is an IDS managing editor. “You have to be proactive and work quickly.”
Kaylyn Easton, who spent her internship at WTHR-TV in Indianapolis this summer, told students that their first internship may not include experiences in all phases of television, for example. But their second ones should.
“You may not have a tape or anything to show that you can do the work for that first one, but you’ll have to have that if you expect to get an internships in TV that will give you the chance to do standups, reports or editing,” said the executive director of IUSTV.
And how to get those tapes, that experience? The four students pointed to media organizations around campus, including the IDS, IUSTV, WIUX radio and other print and Web publications. Their advice: Don’t wait to take advantage of those, either.
“I’ve done all the jobs at IUSTV and this gave me an edge in getting internships,” said Easton, who started working at the student-run TV station as a freshman. “Student media is key. Everyone will get a degree but not everyone will put in the extra effort which gives them an edge.”
Sanserino recounted his experience when he sat in the auditorium as a freshman three years ago. He already had applied to the IDS while visiting campus that summer for freshman orientation, and, on the first day of classes, he was working on his first IDS piece.
Avon worked for a London publisher and Alexander was an intern at a London newspaper. They counseled students to be prepared to work hard during internships, to be able to complete many tasks, from “writing a Web spot to taking photos,” Avon said.
“When I started at the IDS, I worked as a designer, but then I got interested in reporting and photography,” she said. “It’s a great way to get that experience so that you can do all the things expected of you during an internship.”
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| Photo by Gena Asher |
| From left, Kaylyn Easton, Mike Sanserino, Lindsey Alexander and Natalie Avon formed a panel to share their journalism experiences with new journalism majors. |
Also on hand were student leaders of media groups. Ashlee Green described efforts to raise a chapter of the National Association of Black Journalists and Erin Riley invited students to check out the IU student chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists.
Student Media Director Ron Johnson and IDS adviser Ruth Witmer answered questions about applying to the IDS, INside magazine, Arbutus and other publications.
New semester organizational meetings already are set for some groups.
- The IDS will host an open house Sept. 5 at 2 p.m. in the IDS newsroom, EP 120.
- IUSTV meets 7:30 p.m. Sept. 11 at RTV-245.
- The Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) meets 7 p.m. Sept. 16 at a location to be determined.
- Both SPJ and NABJ organizers say their groups will announce callout meetings soon.
