2008 Woodie Awards
Pomicpic's Picks Life as an intern: learning more than just the ropes
Casey Pomicpic
Issue date: 3/18/08 Section: Features
Last summer I began my first internship as an intern with The Folsom Telegraph.
I was assigned two articles per week, usually community profile or entertainment pieces. Each week, I would call the assigned people, meet and interview them, write two 500-word articles and email them off to my editor. I was paid $40 per article. In the course of three months I only went into the office twice; once to interview for the position in May, and again in August to thank my editor.
I had decided that I wanted to pursue a career as a journalist long before this internship, but my summer spent at the Telegraph sealed the deal.
I spent my summer sleeping in, lying out by my pool and going out at night. My deadlines were always met, my paychecks always spent.
How amazing would my future be as a working journalist? I could conduct an interview in the morning, write the story in the afternoon, and be free each day by 1 p.m. I could see myself meeting unique people, attending interesting events, and in the warmer months, acquiring a great tan.
In January, I began my current internship at the Petaluma community newspaper, the Argus-Courier. Again, I am writing community profile and entertainment pieces.
The routine is the same. Receive an article assignment, make a few phone calls, interview super enthusiastic people and write an article about their life or their cause.
The scene, however, is very different.
I go to the office twice a week to research and type my articles and attend staff meetings. I am responsible for an average of three stories a week; not more than I can handle, but more than I would prefer to write with class and work responsibilities to manage as well.
No matter how busy I may be, I accept every article assigned to me, reminding myself that there are thousands of other prospective journalists who are stuck somewhere out there photo copying and stapling for hours on end.
My life as an intern is anything but glamorous, but that, I assume, is to be expected.
I was assigned two articles per week, usually community profile or entertainment pieces. Each week, I would call the assigned people, meet and interview them, write two 500-word articles and email them off to my editor. I was paid $40 per article. In the course of three months I only went into the office twice; once to interview for the position in May, and again in August to thank my editor.
I had decided that I wanted to pursue a career as a journalist long before this internship, but my summer spent at the Telegraph sealed the deal.
I spent my summer sleeping in, lying out by my pool and going out at night. My deadlines were always met, my paychecks always spent.
How amazing would my future be as a working journalist? I could conduct an interview in the morning, write the story in the afternoon, and be free each day by 1 p.m. I could see myself meeting unique people, attending interesting events, and in the warmer months, acquiring a great tan.
In January, I began my current internship at the Petaluma community newspaper, the Argus-Courier. Again, I am writing community profile and entertainment pieces.
The routine is the same. Receive an article assignment, make a few phone calls, interview super enthusiastic people and write an article about their life or their cause.
The scene, however, is very different.
I go to the office twice a week to research and type my articles and attend staff meetings. I am responsible for an average of three stories a week; not more than I can handle, but more than I would prefer to write with class and work responsibilities to manage as well.
No matter how busy I may be, I accept every article assigned to me, reminding myself that there are thousands of other prospective journalists who are stuck somewhere out there photo copying and stapling for hours on end.
My life as an intern is anything but glamorous, but that, I assume, is to be expected.
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