Grady InternViews: Melanie Levi

This is part of a series where we ask Grady College students to describe their internship experience.  

Melanie Levi is a fourth-year journalism student working with Fox News Channel as a FOX News Media Internship Program Reporter. Read on as she provides insight into what this internship looks like.

Briefly describe your internship and its associated responsibilities.

Fox News Channel, whose headquarters is in New York City, has multiple contributing bureaus throughout the United States. Correspondents from each bureau are responsible for reporting on major national news that occurs within their jurisdiction. For example, since the presidential debate in June took place in Atlanta, we provided coverage for it, as opposed to the Los Angeles bureau. My personal responsibilities are pitching stories for coverage, assisting reporters with writing scripts and writing my own, researching and fact-checking, interviewing sources, performing stand-ups on camera, traveling with reporters to cover stories in the field, etc.

What opportunities did you have during your internship?

On day three of my internship, I met Governor Brian Kemp, who was requested for an interview in our office. Additionally, I was able to assist my coworkers with preparation for and coverage of the first presidential debate of 2024, since it was held next door to our office.

What skills and knowledge have you gained from your internship?

I have gained so much valuable insight as to how the world of news reporting truly runs on a daily basis throughout my internship. Learning the basic elements of journalism in class is a completely different task than putting it all together in a newsroom. Seeing a package begin as someone’s mere thought that is then translated into a comprehensive on-air production is so exciting.

What is one work you are proud of creating in this role?

I am proud of myself for completing my first reporting reel! I now have almost a dozen
professional stand-ups and several full packages.

What challenges have you overcome in this role?

Transitioning from more wordy areas such as feature and newspaper writing to hard news coverage was difficult for me; I was so used to having to reach that pesky college word count. Writing for breaking news and television is starkly different, because reporters must capture their audience’s attention quickly. I had to shift my writing from flowery to extremely concise, which proved to be a challenge.

How has the Grady curriculum you’ve taken prepared you for this internship?

The Grady curriculum prepared me for this role by providing me with skills that are paramount to being a successful journalist. In Grady, I learned how to write a package outline, shoot B-roll and edit clips with Adobe Premiere Pro, which are some of the essential tasks that journalists must complete daily. I also learned how to properly contact sources and interview them with thought-provoking questions, which impressed my colleagues.

Who is one Grady Professor who has inspired you? 

Professor Chris Shumway has inspired me deeply. He taught me to not be afraid to pitch the stories that I truly want to pursue, and also introduced me to package production and editing. He is so kind, caring and knowledgeable about this field, and is always willing to help his students with whatever they need. Professor Shumway is certainly one of the best professors that UGA has.

What advice would you give to someone looking to apply to similar internships?

If a student is seeking an internship at the national level like mine, I would immediately advise them to pay attention to national news. Local news stations are responsible for just that: local news. Employment at a national news agency mandates an extensive knowledge of current events that affect the country, not just a nearby area. Some significant topics to educate themselves on are immigration, healthcare, housing, foreign policy and artificial intelligence.

How has this internship influenced your future career?

This internship definitely reaffirmed the fact that I want to go into on-air reporting. I was able to shadow producers, reporters, field techs and videographers this summer, and being in front of the camera is certainly my favorite aspect of journalism. Also, working for a national channel is something I love as well. I truly believe that, after a few years of getting my bearings in local news, I will ultimately make the jump to national as my coworkers did.

How did you find out about this internship?

To be completely candid, I Googled “Fox News internship” to land this role. I applied online with my resume and then had a Zoom interview with the Southeast Bureau Chief. Eventually, I received my offer of employment and started my internship on June 3.

Editor: Shannon Lorusso; sel67411@uga.edu