WVU :: Perley Isaac Reed School of Journalism

Student Spotlight

Samantha Knight
Major Sequence: Broadcast News
Status: Sophomore

“I never in a million years thought that I would have gotten an internship with NBC News...It was a great learning experience.”

Where did you intern?
I interned at NBC news in London, England. I was there with WVU London Summer internship program for the month of July 2007.

What was the process for applying for the internship?
I got an e-mail that said that I was eligible for the London Summer Internship, and then I had to get a letter of recommendation and turn in a cover letter and a resume. Then, they went through the process of deciding who was accepted.

Was the internship a paid position or learning experience?
My internship at NBC was a learning experience. They had paid positions there, but you had to be there for more than eight months to get them.

What was the most important lesson you learned during the internship?
I learned to always be on my toes in the newsroom. At any point in time, something could happen, and it would be complete madness. I also learned to stay focused, even when someone would ask me to do something on top of my usual work. I would just have to keep a priority list and focus.

What other aspects of the internship do you think will serve you well later in the job market?
I think the fact that I worked at such a well-known and fast-paced place will really help me. It was a very structured and organized place, and I think it will help people to realize that I am responsible, and I can handle pressure.

Can you give me an example of what a typical day was like during your internship?
Basically, at NBC London hub, they get news feeds from all over the world all the time. The news would come feeding in, and it was my job to watch video news and log it into the system. This was pretty much the usual everyday task, but I was also able to go on shoots. They always took one intern to different shoots, and we were there to help carry things or get things for the producers and cameramen. For instance, I went on a shoot for a “Today Show” package, and I held one of the monitors and helped the camera man see how the lighting looked. I also helped set things up.

What advice would you give an SOJ student interested in pursuing an internship?
Well, first, I think if anyone can go on the WVU London internship, I would really recommend that. It was all put together for us, and we just had to submit a resume. I would also say that they shouldn’t doubt themselves. I never in a million years thought that I would have gotten an internship with NBC News. But, I applied for the internship anyway, because I figured I had nothing else to lose.

How did the School of Journalism prepare you to succeed in your internship?
Well, since I was only there as a freshman getting ready to start my sophomore year, I had only really had entry level classes that didn’t really focus on my major. But the school did help me because they told me to start interning as soon as possible, which is why I applied for the internship.

What experiences from the internship will you be able to apply to your work at the School of Journalism?
Working with video monitors and cameras will really help me with the SOJ. I think just knowing how things really work in the news industry will also help me. If I want to be a news reporter, I learned that I am going to have to always be on my toes and ready to go all the time. The internship helped me see how things work, and how TV news runs, which will help me later when I try to get another internship or job along the way.

If given the opportunity, would you do another internship? Why or why not?
Yes, I would definitely do another internship. I loved the city of London, and I loved my internship. I actually wanted to stay at my internship longer, even after everyone from my group left. But I knew that I needed to come home. I would love to take an entire summer and just go back there, or anywhere else and intern because it was a great learning experience.

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	Student Spotlight Samantha Knight Major Sequence: Broadcast News Status: Sophomore “I never in a million years thought that I would have gotten an internship with NBC News...It was a great learning experience.” Where did you intern? I interned at NBC news in London, England. I was there with WVU London Summer internship program for the month of July 2007. What was the process for applying for the internship? I got an e-mail that said that I was eligible for the London Summer Internship, and then I had to get a letter of recommendation and turn in a cover letter and a resume. Then, they went through the process of deciding who was accepted. Was the internship a paid position or learning experience? My internship at NBC was a learning experience. They had paid positions there, but you had to be there for more than eight months to get them. What was the most important lesson you learned during the internship? I learned to always be on my toes in the newsroom. At any point in time, something could happen, and it would be complete madness. I also learned to stay focused, even when someone would ask me to do something on top of my usual work. I would just have to keep a priority list and focus. What other aspects of the internship do you think will serve you well later in the job market? I think the fact that I worked at such a well-known and fast-paced place will really help me. It was a very structured and organized place, and I think it will help people to realize that I am responsible, and I can handle pressure. Can you give me an example of what a typical day was like during your internship? Basically, at NBC London hub, they get news feeds from all over the world all the time. The news would come feeding in, and it was my job to watch video news and log it into the system. This was pretty much the usual everyday task, but I was also able to go on shoots. They always took one intern to different shoots, and we were there to help carry things or get things for the producers and cameramen. For instance, I went on a shoot for a “Today Show” package, and I held one of the monitors and helped the camera man see how the lighting looked. I also helped set things up. What advice would you give an SOJ student interested in pursuing an internship? Well, first, I think if anyone can go on the WVU London internship, I would really recommend that. It was all put together for us, and we just had to submit a resume. I would also say that they shouldn’t doubt themselves. I never in a million years thought that I would have gotten an internship with NBC News. But, I applied for the internship anyway, because I figured I had nothing else to lose. How did the School of Journalism prepare you to succeed in your internship? Well, since I was only there as a freshman getting ready to start my sophomore year, I had only really had entry level classes that didn’t really focus on my major. But the school did help me because they told me to start interning as soon as possible, which is why I applied for the internship. What experiences from the internship will you be able to apply to your work at the School of Journalism? Working with video monitors and cameras will really help me with the SOJ. I think just knowing how things really work in the news industry will also help me. If I want to be a news reporter, I learned that I am going to have to always be on my toes and ready to go all the time. The internship helped me see how things work, and how TV news runs, which will help me later when I try to get another internship or job along the way. If given the opportunity, would you do another internship? Why or why not? Yes, I would definitely do another internship. I loved the city of London, and I loved my internship. I actually wanted to stay at my internship longer, even after everyone from my group left. But I knew that I needed to come home. I would love to take an entire summer and just go back there, or anywhere else and intern because it was a great learning experience.