I spent my spring term interning at Oregon’s Fox broadcasting. I worked as a Social Media and Promotions intern, and had cross training in Creative and Production. I got a close-up look and hands-on experience with the programs used in the broadcast industry, in everything from the company video camera to the teleprompter.
I worked through a social media engine called HootSuite where I could manage Twitter, Facebook, and any other form of social media through one site that would distribute the content to all sites. I gained a working knowledge of the Adobe Suite, specifically Adobe Premiere. Previously, I only had experience in Final Cut Pro, however, after a week or two of watching my supervisor manage video and audio content over it, I was able to navigate it myself with relative ease.
My most common daily responsibilities included the management of Oregon Fox’s Twitter and Facebook page–I would send out posts advertising the shows airing that night, and send out a number of promotional quips for whatever contest was currently open. From there I was extended the freedom to work on what interested me: creating promotions, writing copy, attending sales meetings, and going out to different locations for filming.
Working with Fox gave me valuable insight on to what the industry is like today in an entry-level market for a broadcast journalist. It helped sharped the objective of what I want my career to consist of, showing me the kind of jobs I did and did not want to explore, even the kind of professional environment I want to surround myself with. It was an all-around invaluable experience.