News-Editorial Senior
“The SOJ gave me the confidence that I could handle anything.”
EMILY WRIGHT: “About My Internship…”
Q: Where did you intern and when?
A: I interned for Washington Spaces magazine from May to July 2007. I was an editorial/photography intern.
Q: How did you hear about the internship?
A: One of the companies my mother, a landscape architect, works with advertises with Spaces magazine. I had always seen the magazine around the house because of that. There was no formal position offered on the Web site, but I sent in my application packet (a cover letter, resume and several clips) and the editor got back to me very quickly.
Q: Was the internship a paid position or learning experience?
A: It was a learning experience.
Q: What was the most important lesson you learned during the internship?
A: I was working as a photographer for some of the stories for the fall issue. I learned how to look for very particular details within the photos. For example, I had to make granite look interesting, so I had to find a specific detail in each piece of granite so it was eye-popping.
Q: What other aspects of the internship do you think will benefit you in the job market?
A: The diversity of the pictures I took. I shot stories varying from granite to a portrait of a local artist. The first half of my internship was focused on being a fact checker for the stories written by the staff writers. However, I think I learned the most from the photography. The experience reassured me that photography must be a part of my career after graduating.
Q: What was a typical day was like during your internship?
A: I worked Monday through Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. I fact-checked stories, met with my co-worker for advice and used the one-on-one time as a learning experience while we ate lunch. In order to fact-check stories, I made phone calls to all cited sources and verified that the information in the story was correct, like the spelling of an artists’ name. With the photography, I was responsible for making sure the art department got the photos on time. I also helped them lay out the stories using my photography. My official title was editorial/photography intern.
Q: What advice would you give an SOJ student looking for an internship?
A: Apply for anything. Don’t be narrow-minded on where to take advantage of any opportunities.
Q: How did the School of Journalism prepare you to succeed in your internship?
A: The SOJ gave me the confidence that I could handle anything.
Q: What experiences from the internship will you be able to apply to your work at the School of Journalism?
A: It will improve the quality of my photography for my capstone class. As the photography coordinator for NE 459 with John Temple, I am responsible for the photography needed in the Morgantown area for the eight different publications involved in the capstone class.
Q: If given the opportunity, would you do another internship? Why or why not?
A: Yes, this was my second internship, and I can’t wait for next summer. I’m looking into several magazines in West Virginia, in case I live here over the summer. However, I’m also applying to the United Nations media internship.
Check out one of Emily’s stories online: http://www.washingtonspaces.com/Inspire/Opening+Spaces/