By Gabriela Rivas-De Leon, NC Local News Workshop Intern
Interning at the NC Local News Workshop has been one of the most impactful experiences I’ve had as a young professional. Writing articles for our newsletter and blog has taken me across state newsrooms. I’ve met countless journalists and newsroom staff changing the landscape of news, making North Carolina newsrooms and reporting a more inclusive, community-focused space. In these past two years, I’ve learned that the information we receive every day is vital to the well-being of our communities, our country, and our democracy.
The Workshop itself continues to expand, and I’m incredibly proud to have been a part of an organization that champions the needs of local NC communities. From our now annual NC News and Information Summit to the Diversity Audit, our Western NC Research, and our community listening sessions, the Workshop embodies its mission to connect, convene, and build on behalf of other NC residents.
For my final NC Local newsletter post, I decided to highlight some of the best and brightest journalists about to graduate (and happen to be some of my closest friends at Elon University!). As we all know, journalism is incredibly rewarding, but it can also be incredibly aggravating, time-consuming, and competitive. I feel incredibly lucky to have spent the past four years with these journalists, reviewing each other’s work in class, sharing late nights at the library, and making each other stronger, wiser, and smarter. In case anyone is looking for incredibly qualified new hires, I’ve included their portfolios below.
Ellis Chandler
Portfolio: https://echandler2.myportfolio.com/work
Ellis and I met freshman year through our sorority. Ellis is a journalism major with a political science minor and will begin working as a morning dayside producer for WYFF News Four after graduation.
What’s a piece of advice you would give to upcoming journalism students?
When managing your time, spend it doing things that you like to do. If I have a class assignment that can be used for both Elon News Network and for class, I’ll pick a story that works for both. I’m at the point in my college career where I almost exclusively produce, so when I do a story, I’ll either do features or politics because that’s what I’m most personally invested in. It’s better burnout prevention that way.
What excites you about what you’ll bring to your professional career?
The fact that, and in general, my station is hiring a lot of younger staff recently. When you work in production, you get to choose the stories. I’m hoping that because younger people are writing the morning and noon shows, we can pull some stories that wouldn’t have been pulled before. We can shake up the status quo and you have a lot of creative freedom in how you format. Not a lot of young people work on the back end of local news. The fact that my newsroom is younger will hopefully entice younger people to watch local news again.
Annemarie Bonner
Portfolio: https://annemariebonner.myportfolio.com/annemarie-bonner
I met Annemarie on our first day at Elon during freshman orientation. Annemarie is a Journalism major with a Psychology minor and is looking for a broadcast job at the network level after graduation. She most recently interned with the Today Show’s 3rd News Hour.
What’s something you’ve learned in the journalism program that you’ll carry with you?
Broadcast is like talking to your friend. The conversation doesn’t always have to be so serious. Also, it’s good to be curious about a lot of different things. It’s good to know a little bit about a lot of things because that’s what makes you well-rounded.
What are you excited to bring to your professional career?
I think being so young in this industry is an advantage because we have an appreciation for topics that older generations don’t understand or are not well-versed in. I can bring topics to the newsroom that are not as talked about within my older co-workers’ everyday circle. Young blood is good!
What will you miss the most about the School of Communications at Elon?
I’ll miss my mentors. I’ve found so many inside and outside of the classroom. We have so much freedom to explore what interests us. I’m going to miss the supportive nature and stability of this school.
Genevieve Smith
Portfolio: https://www.genevieveclairesmith.com
Genevieve and I met during our freshman Media Writing class and hosted a year-long podcast. Genevieve is a journalism and strategic communications double major with a minor in Spanish and is looking for an entry-level position with a small boutique strategic communications agency in New York.
What’s something you’ve learned in the journalism program that you’ll carry with you?
I’ve learned that journalism means a lot of different things. It’s not just an international reporter on live TV in a war zone; it can also be the person writing the food review, it can be the local reporter talking to everyday people. There’s a misconception that journalism has to be this big, high-profile story all the time. But that’s not what I want to do or any of my friends want to do. I’ve taken away from this program that being a journalist can be whatever you want it to mean.
What are you excited to bring to your professional career?
My enthusiasm. I’m genuinely so excited to get out into the real world, work as much as I can, and figure out what I’m going to do with my career. I’m really curious- my favorite trait about myself is my willingness to try new things and do whatever will come out of that curiosity. I’m even more excited about living in a new city with a new job and new friends!
What will you miss the most about the School of Communications at Elon?
What I’m going to miss the most about the School of Communications is the community, and most importantly the professors. I can’t even begin to explain how the professors at this school have helped me through coursework, and have helped me as an individual and as a person trying to make it in the real world. The professors have been the most rewarding part of this experience and I know that they are connections I’m going to take with me after college. We’ve created such strong relationships, and not being able to grab coffee together or have them teach me day-to-day is what I’m going to miss the most.
Margaret Faust
Portfolio: https://www.margaretfaust.com
Margaret and I met through Elon News Network, where she was my new member coordinator. Margaret is a Journalism major with a minor in International and Global Studies with a concentration in the Middle East. She is currently looking for a job in local print or radio journalism, and her dream job would be at an NPR affiliate station.
What’s a piece of advice you would give to upcoming journalism students?
Write in simple, declarative sentences in an active voice and conversational tone. That type of writing will never fail you.
What excites you about what you’ll bring to your professional career?
I am excited about serving the public good. While I have gotten to do that through Elon News Network, my reach will be wide and my impact will be greater. I hope I can offer journalism that helps people be informed. Knowledge is power and when people know what is going on around them, they can make the choice that is right for them.
What will you miss the most about the School of Communications at Elon?
The academic and professional support I have gotten while at Elon is immeasurable. Every professor is willing and ready to help me grow as a learner and a journalist. Their mentorship is hard to replicate and I will miss it once I graduate.
And now for my own answers:
I’m a Journalism major with a minor in sociology. I am actually the odd one out in this group- I will be heading to law school in New York City in the fall!
What’s a piece of advice you would give to upcoming journalism students?
The best piece of advice I received as a journalism student was to sit in silence during an interview. Ask a question, receive the answer, and don’t immediately ask for a follow-up. Let the answer breathe. Awkward silence isn’t always the enemy, because it can get you the best nuggets or soundbites.
What will you miss the most about the School of Communications at Elon?
The professors at Elon are unmatched- there’s a reason we’re rated number one in undergraduate teaching. Not only have my journalism professors pushed me to my best academic potential, but they also value me as a person. I have a couple of mentors who have undoubtedly changed the trajectory of my career- my reporting for the public good professor pushed me to take on hard stories, and my media law professor noticed my interest in the law. My advisor has been my biggest cheerleader. I know all of us will be in different corners of the world, but I know that our professors are still cheering us on at Elon.
