Tag: students

Grady Intern Diaries: Maxime Tamsett

Posted on by Sarah Freeman

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

 

For others in the series, please see:

Connor Foarde, The Washington Times

Kendall Lake, New America’s Open Technology Institute

Christopher Mays, Citi

Stanley D. Miller III, CNN

Charlotte Norsworthy, NPR

Brittany Paris, Dateline NBC

 

Name: Maxime Tamsett (AB ’18)
Major: Journalism and International Affairs
Title of Internship: International Newsgathering Desk Intern at CNN
Location: Atlanta, GA

Grady College: Briefly describe your internship and responsibilities:
Maxime Tamsett: As the International Newsgathering Desk Intern, I help researchers gather information needed for breaking and on-going stories for both broadcast and digital platforms. Along with being assigned regions of the world, researchers mind the hit times, updated content and safety of reporters based in those locations.

My responsibilities include gathering updates from wires, scouring social media for reactions from organizations and public figures, as well as looking for stories that we haven’t told yet. After being cleared through legal and ethics, I alert said content, which is then compiled for anchors, producers and reporters who make digital stories and video packages. I also answer phones, making sure to connect producers and reporters in the field to their assigned researchers as well as the Live Desk that connects reporter and guest video feeds to anchors for live television shows.

GC: What is the biggest challenge you have faced during your internship?
M.T: Simply comprehending how a global news organization like CNN operates is an ongoing learning experience. From the meetings where stories are assigned to different bureaus including Atlanta, Hong Kong, Abu Dhabi and London, to how each department (newsgathering, satellites, affiliate stations, digital and control rooms to name a few) interacts with one another, the sheer scale of collaboration is incredible. The most effective way for me to begin to understand it all was by asking questions and writing answers down on my handy-dandy notebook for referral later.

GC: What was the best part about your summer internship?
M.T.: The people I work with are without a doubt the best part of my internship. Not only was everyone kind and friendly, but they genuinely wanted me to succeed, whether said or implied. As I became familiar with the newsgathering desk, the pros generously gave me opportunities, and with those responsibilities, to contribute meaningful work, including company-wide news alerts and voiceovers for news packages. Everyone I interacted with acknowledged me with a smile and graciously answered all my questions, and boy I have a lot of them about pretty much everything. It’s true what they say; it’s the people you work with that make the organization.

GC: What is the most memorable experience you had during your internship?
M.T.: I would point to two occasions where my proficiency in French became a very real asset in the newsgathering process. On the Friday of my first week, I was asked by CNN’s D.C. Bureau to transcribe and translate part of French President Emmanuel Macron’s joint speech with Justin Trudeau at the G7 Summit. How could I say no?

The other occasion was when I called Mali’s Defense Ministry spokesperson to gather details of a reported attack in the country. As one of the only French speakers at the desk, both occasions underlined just how rewarding and valuable my foreign language skills were in contributing to the newsgathering process.

Tamsett applied and talked with the CNN recruiter at Grady’s Career Fair, describing his passion for international news and asking what he needed to do to be competitive. By his senior year, CNN’s recruiter recognized him before he could even say his name.

GC: What advice would you give to a student looking for an internship?
M.T.: Get involved early and be persistent. I attended panel discussions and career fairs my sophomore year onwards. I learned to be comfortable talking to public figures and potential employers who at the time appeared intimidating.

All the while, I got involved in student-run news organizations, including 90.5fm WUOG and The Red & Black newspaper, learning to become an effective journalist. Even though I applied to CNN in the past and did not hear anything back, that did not discourage me from trying again, which I’m so glad I did.

GC: What part of your Grady education did you find most valuable during your internship?
M.T.: When it came to this internship, Grady taught me how to be comfortable in uncomfortable situations. Whether it be talking to senior executives or asking professionals in a given department how to do something, I’ve learned to be comfortable asking questions to people I don’t know.

GC: How did your internship help confirm your desired career path or make you re-evaluate what you want to do in the future?
M.T.: It’s not often that you have the privileged opportunity to take part in an internship that fully encompasses all your studies during university into one experience. With that being said, interning at CNN has allowed me to better understand the pros and cons in both international and local news coverage, as well as the career opportunities available from each of them. This internship has confirmed that I feel most fulfilled when completing tasks that require me to pull knowledge from multiple disciplines including journalism, international affairs and foreign languages.

GC: When you look back on your internship 10 years from now, what part of your summer internship do you expect to be most thankful for?
M.T.: I believe it will be the people that I have met while at CNN. From their generosity and patience to guidance and willingness to share their expertise, I couldn’t have been more fortunate. I can only hope that in 10 years time I can be in a position to do the same.

Grady Intern Diaries: Kendall Lake

Posted on by Don McClain

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

For others in the series, please see:

Connor Foarde, The Washington Times

Christopher Mays, Citi

Stanley D. Miller III, CNN

Charlotte Norsworthy, NPR

Brittany Paris, Dateline NBC

Maxime Tamsett, CNN

Name: Kendall Lake
Major: Journalism
Certificate: New Media
Masters: Emerging Media
Title of Internship: Communications Intern at New America’s Open Technology Institute
Location: Washington, D.C.

Grady College: Briefly describe your internship and responsibilities:
Kendall Lake: I work at the Open Technology Institute, the tech policy branch of a bigger nonpartisan think tank called New America. As OTI’s communications intern, I work primarily with our small departmental communications team, but I also spend time with a broader New America group that includes events, production, editorial and communications. My primary responsibilities include tracking our media hits, supporting editorial efforts with content writing and copyediting, supporting events with promotion and planning, and working to create and design materials for the web and for print.

GC: What was the best part about your summer internship?
K.L.: Working at OTI means I am surrounded by some of the most pressing technology issues facing our world today. I work alongside experts in net neutrality, encryption, consumer privacy, and more—buzzwords you probably see in the news almost daily. I truly believe in the work OTI is doing to promote a more open and secure internet, and I am honored to support that work in any way that I can. Also, part of my job is to stay informed on the latest technology and tech policy news, and who doesn’t love diving down digital rabbit holes in a field they love?

GC: What was the biggest surprise in your internship (ie: is there anything you didn’t expect?)
K.L.: Having supervisors that want you to learn and grow is what everyone hopes for from an internship. The part I did not predict is that not only do my supervisors want me to learn, they also want to learn from me! My background as the curator for TEDxUGA gives me a unique perspective on presentation development and communication that they are eager to explore. In a few weeks, I’ll be giving a crash course about what looking at TED talks can teach you about good presentations. I’ve been told that even our department’s director is excited—I am too. I’m thrilled that my workplace values my experiences and expertise.

GC: What is the biggest challenge you faced during your internship?
K.L.: Imposter syndrome is very real. There are six interns in my department, all years older than me and knee-deep in law school or grad school. For the first few weeks, I felt young and unqualified, and I constantly wondered how I ended up here. But the more time I spent working, the more I realized that I am using skills that often took a good bit of education and practice for me to develop. To me, accurately crafting messaging, editing writing, researching, or developing an effective presentation feels simple, but I have learned they are not as commonplace as I have fooled myself into believing. I’m still working to overcome the challenge of dismissing skills that I’ve worked hard for.

GC: What advice would you give to a student looking for an internship?
K.L.: Cast a wide net. I don’t just mean that you should apply to a high quantity of internships, although that’s also good advice. Instead, I recommend you apply for a diverse set of positions, especially if you—like me—aren’t quite sure what you want to be when you grow up. As a Grady student, your skills in writing and communications can apply to a variety of fields. Put yourself out there and apply to big-name companies, but don’t be afraid to dig around for something unexpected. Did I ever imagine I’d be doing communications for a tech policy think tank? Definitely not. But when I found that job posting, I yelled it out loud to my roommate and said, “This is the most ‘me’ thing I’ve ever seen,” and the rest is history. Give yourself enough room to find that perfect fit.

GC: What part of your Grady education did you find most valuable during your internship?
K.L.: Dr. Lee’s communication law class. My internship has immersed me in the world of technology and internet policy, which I was first exposed to in Dr. Lee’s class. Comm law taught me important fundamentals about freedom of expression, intellectual property, liability and more, and it even gave me room to develop my own opinions on policies that govern the internet as we know it.

That being said, I also wouldn’t be where I am today without the New Media Institute. Earning the certificate helped cultivate in me a still-growing love of all things tech, and my classes in production and design come in handy daily. But at the end of the day, my internship doesn’t require impeccable technical skills. It requires me to be an effective communicator of complex ideas—a skill which I have developed chiefly through TEDxUGA. I am exceptionally grateful to Megan Ward, her devotion to ideas worth spreading, and her faith (along with Kate Devlin’s) that I am well-equipped to help spread them.

Grady Intern Diaries: Charlotte Norsworthy

Posted on by Don McClain

This is part of a series where we asked Grady College students to describe their internship experiences during the summer.

For others in the series, please see:

Connor Foarde, The Washington Times

Christopher Mays, Citi

Stanley D. Miller III, CNN

Kendall Lake, New America’s Open Technology Institute

Brittany Paris, Dateline NBC

Maxime Tamsett, CNN

Name: Charlotte Norsworthy
Major: Journalism and Political Science
Title of Internship: Business Desk Intern
Company and company website: NPR
Location: Washington, D.C.

GC: Briefly describe your internship and responsibilities.

Charlotte Norsworthy operates a sound booth in NPR's newsroom. Photo: Alexis Arnold
Charlotte Norsworthy operates a sound booth in NPR’s newsroom. Photo: Alexis Arnold

C.N.: I work on the business desk at NPR which works to support and produce content for radio, podcasts and digital. The tasks of the job change each day, which keeps things exciting! One day I will be reporting on the state of the financial markets, another day I will be rushing to the courtroom to hear an important decision. Most days, I assist reporters and editors in researching, sourcing and completing their pieces.

GC: What is the biggest challenge you faced during your internship?
C.N.: The biggest challenge I’ve faced is learning how to pitch a story for a national audience. Most of my experience prior to this internship included focusing coverage on a very specific audience. Here, that audience includes everyone. Therefore, coming up with story pitches that will appeal to a broad range of folks has been harder than anticipated! Luckily, my editors have worked with me to help fine-tune my pitches.

GC: What was the best part about your summer internship?
C.N.: The best part about my summer internship is getting to be in the hustle and bustle of such great journalism. News never rests and neither does the NPR newsroom, and it has been so exciting and humbling to be a part of it!

GC: What is the most memorable experience you had during your internship?
C.N.: I have to say two – I just have to! The first most memorable experience of my internship thus far has been getting to hunker down at the D.C. district courthouse anticipating the AT&T/Time Warner merger decision. I learned so much about covering courts and the patience it requires. It has motivated me to try and shadow other reporters out in the field.

The second has been attending Tiny Desk concerts. I have gotten to see some of my favorite artists, such as Dave Matthews and Yo-Yo Ma, but also discover some new artists such as Rev. Sekou and Fred Yonnet!

GC: What is the most valuable lesson or skill you learned during your internship?
C.N.: The most valuable lesson I have learned is to go with the flow. As I mentioned earlier, each day at my internship brings something different, and I have learned to be willing to turn over the reigns! Being flexible and willing to do any and everything has truly paid off, and it has allowed me to have some incredible experiences.

GC: What advice would you give to a student looking for an internship?
C.N.: My advice would be to really let your passion for your position shine through the work you’ve completed up to this point. If you are applying for NPR, for example, talk less about how much you listen to NPR and more about how your skills can be a valuable asset to the team you’re applying to. Talk about your experience, share stories and be genuine.

GC: What part of your Grady education did you find most valuable during your internship?
C.N.: Overall, my education at Grady has trained me to have a go-getter and adaptable attitude to any project or position I am afforded. If I have to learn a new piece of software, cover a subject I am unfamiliar with or walk up to a stranger, Grady has prepared me for all of it. My position, working at the business desk, has drawn upon specific classes that I have taken with my Grady program, such as Dr. Keith Herndon’s Business Journalism class, Dr. William E. Lee’s Communication Law class and the late Dr. Barry Hollander’s Information Gathering class. Those three classes have helped me more than I ever expected, and I am truly grateful to Grady for continuing to support this range in curriculum.

GC: How did your internship help confirm your desired career path or make you re-evaluate what you want to do in the future?
C.N.: This internship furthered my knowledge of the national and international news markets, but it has also showed me how these national organizations must work to support local markets. Working here has shown me how crucial all levels of news production are to better inform our society. Therefore, this organization has shown me that I would love to eventually return to national organizations, such as NPR, to continue to work on news support strategies. Also, NPR has its own Standards & Practices editor named Mark Memmott. He works within the newsroom to ensure NPR’s journalism is held up to a high-quality standard. To me, he has such a crucial position, and I would love to eventually steal his job! Haha!

GC: How will your summer internship affect the way you approach the rest of your time at UGA?
C.N.: This internship will allow me to go back to Athens and approach my senior year with force! I hope to take what I’ve learned and apply it to the Cox Institute’s own podcast, The Lead, and take it to new heights.

GC: When you look back on your internship 10 years from now, what part of your summer internship do you expect to be most thankful for?
C.N.: I expect to be most thankful for the people I’ve met. NPR has such a diverse newsroom, and I hope to be able to keep in touch with those that I’ve worked with, met and grown close to, such as those in my internship class. Thanks for everything, NPR!