Quick Advice About Internships

Here's some advice for people before applying to similar internships that I just had...

#1). ALWAYS ASK QUESTIONS AND ASK WHAT YOU CAN DO TO HELP!: Don't ask questions when people are busy, but when there's a moment and you're chilling with someone just ask them about their job and different things they're interested in. I always had 100 questions, which means I'm in the right field, but you have to feel the situation and not annoy people. If you're a journalist, you know what I mean.

#2). THE OTHER INTERNS MAY BE YOUR FUTURE CO-WORKERS: Make friends with the other interns because you will probably work with them later on in life. Get their contact info and keep in touch!

Broadcast Station Internship

1. Know if your Station is UNION SHOP: A lot of local stations do not have unions so you can touch and use the equipment, but in NYC (besides NY1) the local stations are unionized. I was still able to observe the entire process in putting together a news package, but I was not allowed to touch anything. I would say, do one internship at a non-union shop to touch the equipment and then work with a union shop to gain more experience. 
2. People will remember you, which is Good & Bad: Broadcast news is a small, small world. So, don't be a jerk. Be polite to everyone and be engaged. Be friendly to people that work at the other stations too, you never know who you will run into in the field!
3. You want to be an Anchor? Do More: No one is an anchor automatically. Learn from everyone you can. GDNY anchor Rosanna Scotto says, "The best anchors were always the best reporters."
4. Get to know your Photogs: I never thought about this before, but honestly the coolest people I met were the cameramen. Some of them have been all over the world and most of them know all of the other cameramen from other stations. They also always have your back. 
5. Dress to Impress: People at the station sometimes thought that I wasn't an intern because I dressed nicely. They'll remember that. (Also, people on the street thought I was the reporter... which was kind of awesome.. not going to lie!) 

Independent Media Writing Internship 

1. Ask if Co-workers need help on their Research: Writers at FAIR were always working on their own individual projects. If you're interested in the same topic, ask them about it and they may let you help them their with project! 
2. More Work is Available: Working in a smaller place allows you the chance to be hands on. I was able to write 4 blog posts, a study with a co-worker, and my own piece. There is a benefit to working with a smaller group of people because you can literally do more.
3. People will remember you, which is Good & Bad (AGAIN): Indy media is really small as well. The people who you work with might have connections to other media outlets, so don't be mean. With that knowledge comes responsibility, so don't schmooze (I hate schmoozing..). Work your butt off because it's a smaller market than mainstream media and it's more specialized (people report on more specific topics). 
4.  Study the Writing Style of the Outlet: FAIR writes with a very specific tone which took me a long time to adopt. Read A LOT of the outlet's work and try to practice writing that way. I didn't realize how uncomfortable I would be writing in the tone FAIR uses, but I got used to it.