Washington & Lee University Department of Journalism and Mass Communications Department hoome W&L home

“The idea of an internship is to apply what you learn in class to the real world.”– John Muncie,  Internship Coordinator

“I loved the people I worked with. Metropolitan Home has a small full-time staff of eleven people, so I enjoyed the ability to see all aspects of the magazine up close.” – Patricia Ballantyne, ’05 Print Major, Metropolitan Home

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Tran Kim

“The Pulliam Fellowship is a great program because it completely immerses interns in the journalism field and though you are an intern, you really aren't. You are given assignments from day one and there's no pretend reporting, writing, and publishing –your material does appear in the paper with your name attached to it. You're not learning by watching others do it but are learning by doing it yourselves.” – Tran Kim, ’05 Mass Communications Major, Indianapolis Star

“Through the internship, I learned the value of developing contacts and sources on various beats and the idea that it's not 'what you know, but who you know' that often allows you to get scoops. I also learned the importance of not overlooking seemingly irrelevant details-- they can sometimes be turned into some interesting stories.” – Beau Leitner, ’05 Business Journalism Major, The Greater Baton Rouge Business Report

“Working under a deadline was the major thing. At W&L, we usually have a week to complete a story. For a story at school, I had a week to get my interviews, write my story, and then go back out to film my stand-ups. In the real world, it's much different. If I were doing a package, I had to think of a stand-up while I was out. So I was always writing and re-writing my story in my head. Stories usually always had to be done that day.” – Allison Perry, ’05 Electronic Journalism Major, WDBJ-7 Roanoke, VA (CBS affiliate)

“TV production is fun, but not my thing. Print majors can handle broadcast internships… with a little training. [My internship was a] great experience in terms of convergence, [and] gave me a different set of skills than the ones I had.” – Andres Amerikaner, ’05 Print Major, Oppenheimer Presenta

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Christina Kolock

”My internship really was worth as much as I was willing to put into it—the more I asked to do, the more I was able to do. ” – Christina Kolock, ’05 Electronic Journalism Major, WTVR -6 Richmond, VA (CBS affiliate)

Journalism internships


What is the purpose of an internship?
An internship allows you to apply what you’ve been learning in classes in a professional setting. The experience will help you test your interest in the field and assess your preparation for the workplace. It can also introduce you to people who can be helpful resources when you are looking for a job after graduation.

Who is required to get an internship?
Internships are required for print, electronic and business journalism majors. They are optional for students in the mass communications sequence. Only declared Journalism and Mass Communications majors are eligible to receive credit for internships.

How do I go about finding an internship?
You must find your own internship. The department will not grant credit for an internship that you obtain through a paid finder service. Department faculty and staff will be happy to provide you with tips and leads for finding an internship.The best way to find an internship is to apply for many. Develop a strategy in the fall of the year before you’d like an internship and research the application process and deadlines for the companies where you would like to work. Attend a departmental information session, examine the department’s web site, talk to your professors about good places to work, watch the Reid Hall third floor bulletin boards for information. If you wish to receive credit for an internship, you must meet with John Muncie, the department's internship coordinator, by Nov. 1 before the spring or summer in which you intend to serve your internship.

Do I need a resume?
Yes. If you haven’t already, start assembling a resume now. The Career Services Web site, http://careers.wlu.edu/students/job_search.html ,is a good starting place. However, mass communications resumes are different from those in many other fields. Be sure to have Mr. Muncie or a department faculty member review your resume before you send it to a mass communications employer. Be sure on your resume to emphasize any writing or communication experience. Make sure your resume adheres to Associated Press style, is absolutely accurate and contains no typos, misspellings or grammatical errors. The applications will also ask for a cover letter and clips.

What are those?                                                                News organizations and communications companies want to know if you can write, so a cover letter is your most important writing sample. Its purpose is to introduce yourself to a potential employer and distinguish you from all the other applicants. The letter should be direct, well-written and no more than one page long. It should reflect something about you that is not apparent from your resume. Again, the Career Services Web site is a good starting place, but you should show your cover letter draft to Mr. Muncie or any of the journalism professors for comment and review before you send it out. 

Clips are published examples of your work. Class assignments are not acceptable, but published stories are, including, usually, work you did for The Rockbridge Report. Work from either of the campus newspapers may be acceptable, as is work from a high school newspaper, provided you have a department faculty member review and help you select your best clips first. Typically, people make copies of the articles on 81/2 x 11-inch paper; be sure to include the publication’s name and date. Increasingly, employers will accept clips you display on a personal Web site (not Facebook or MySpace) if it is clear that the work is from a publication, but always check first. Four to six clips are usually fine, unless the application asks for more. With a department faculty member, select clips that show strong reporting and writing and, if possible, your range. An employer will assume that you consider this your best work, so don’t include articles with typos or inside campus humor that will not translate well to an outside audience.


Where can my internship be?
Your internship may be anywhere in the world. For print, electronic and business J-majors, it must be with a news organization. These include newspapers, magazines, broadcasting stations, or internet news organizations. Students in the mass communications sequence may intern with news organizations, public relations firms, advertising firms, or a communications department within a company.

If I am a print major, do I have to have a print internship?
No. Because we’ve converged our curriculum, we’ve also converged our internships. A print major can have an electronic (broadcast) internship, for example, or an electronic major can have a print internship. The only requirement is that the organization must be a news organization.


Do I get any class credit?
You may receive up to three credits for an approved internship.

What is required for my internship to count for three credits?
You must work at least 300 hours and keep a daily journal. After your internship is over, you must submit the journal and a portfolio of your work to the Journalism Department. Then, you will write a 10-page paper explaining what you learned from your experience and make an oral presentation to other students and faculty. Again, to receive any credit for an internship, you must meet with the internship coordinator by Nov. 1 of the academic year before you serve your internship.

When do my internship credits show up on my transcript?
For a summer internship, the three credits appear as J453 for a News Internship (internships for print, electronic, or business J-majors) or J463 for a Communications Internship (internships for mass communications sequence students). You typically register for the course as an overload the fall term after your internship. In other words, you must take at least 12 credits in addition to J453 or J463.

Do I have to do my internship in the summer?
No. You may have an internship any term, with the internship coordinator’s permission. You can also split your internship credits between terms. For example, you can earn two credits with a summer internship of at least 200 hours (which shows up on your transcripts in the fall) and earn one credit of internship in the fall, by working 100 hours during the term.

Can I do two summer internships?
Yes, but you may receive only three credits. If one internship is paid, you may want to consider it simply a summer job.

Do I need anyone’s permission before taking an internship?
Yes. Anyone seeking credit for an internship must meet and discuss her or his plans with Mr. Muncie, the internship coordinator. That meeting must take place by Nov. 1 before the spring or summer in which you intend to serve your internship. However, do not hesitate to seek advice from the department’s other faculty members. Every professor is happy to offer guidance about the profession and potential internship hosts.

When should I intern?
Most students intern for credit the summer between their junior and senior years. Also, you must be a declared journalism major for your internship to count for credits.

Can I do my internship earlier than that?
If you are a print, electronic or business journalism sequence major, the department requires that you take J253 or J263 before you intern for J451, J452 or J453 credit. That prerequisite may be waived with permission of the internship coordinator and the department head. If you are a mass communications sequence major, you should not take an internship before having J201. The idea of an internship is to apply what you learn in class to the real world. If you have little class experience, you cannot apply this to the internship.

How far in advance should I start looking for an internship?
Begin looking for an internship during the fall before the summer you want to intern. The process may be long and tedious, so you want to allow yourself enough time to look, schedule interviews, and secure the job before the end of Spring Term.

Are all internships paid?
No. You can receive credit for a paid or unpaid internship. The ideal internship is one in which you receive a paycheck and credit. But many internships don’t pay. The department has some money available to help students who secure unpaid internships. Students seeking department assistance should respond to e-mail notices about the scholarships and grants, which are circulated during winter and spring terms.

What should I be looking for in a good internship?
Look for an opportunity to gain real experience in a field in which you think you want to work. Avoid positions in which you will be doing only clerical work.

Where else can I go for information?
Besides this Web site, bulletin boards located in the Reid Hall library and the lab on the third floor are used to post any internship positions that the department receives. The internship coordinator also gives information sessions throughout the year that you should attend.

 

Washington & Lee Department of Journalism and Mass Communications
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