MY PRACTIUM

DURING THE FALL SEMESTER OF 2021, I BECAME A PRODUCTION INTERN AT SEACREST STUDIOS AT CHILDREN'S NATIONAL HOSPITAL IN WASHINGTON D.C. I PRODUCED TELEVISION AND RADIO CONTENT CATERED TO PATIENTS WITHIN THE HOSPITAL. MY WORK INCLUDED TASKS FROM DESIGNING LIVE GAME-TIME SHOWS FOR PATIENTS TO FOLLOW ALONG AND PARTICIPATE IN, HOSTING RADIO PROGRAMS, AND HOSTING A NEWS BROADCAST EVERY THURSDAY.

I found this internship thanks to the listserv that journalism students within the Philipi Merril College of Journalism at UMD can subscribe to. This is a listserv that I check daily, so I would advise other students to stay updated on opportunities within their respective school of study, whether it is subscribing to an email list or looking at bulletin boards within the building.

As a journalism student interested in broadcast journalism, I entered my internship with the hope of learning how to operate within a professional studio. Not only did I learn how to conduct myself within this space, but I learned many technical skills such as manning the JVC system that airs programs on televisions throughout the hospital and learning how to use the soundboard that controls what everyone hears within the hospital.

How did I grow?

One of the main ways I grew was through gaining confidence in my work and my personality. I usually describe myself as reserved and as someone who would do more behind-the-scenes work, but this internship threw me on-air and made me gain confidence in my words and actions. Here is a brief compilation of moments from a newcast I did. I'm choosing the newscast because it showcases my comfortability with skills relating directly to broadcast journalism. Learning how to present news in a dynamic and personable way helped me to grow as a journalism student.

My skills in videography and video editing also improved. Although I took a videography class in the spring of my freshman year, I was able to enhance the technique and skills I learned. I also learned how to have my work best reflect the audience it would be presented to while also making it as interesting and eye-catching as possible. Here is a commercial I created for the studio's morning news show. I chose this project because of the shots I was able to gather, which had a variety of angles to make the video more dynamic. Something creative I ended up including in the video was voiceovers of everyone from the studio saying good morning. This was a small detail, but it was something that brought the video to the next level.

APPLYING MY EXPERIENCE MOVING FORWARD

This internship definitely cemented my interest in multimedia production and content management. As I further my career, I plan on producing and assisting in the creation of more content. In fact, I have already begun doing so through BuzzFCA, a group within the Filipino Cultural Association dedicated to creating Youtube content for the general body. I also plan on looking into student news broadcasting outlets on-campus to apply my knowledge of newscasting. Personally, I plan on utilizing the confidence I have gained in this confidence to be more assertive in the decision I make and to be proud of the work I do.

For the rest of my time at UMD, I plan on adding Information Science as a second major. This internship has taught me the importance of being well-rounded, beyond just your average journalistic skills. I am hoping this major can expand on my skills and abilities while also preparing me for another prospective career I have in mind: data journalism.

Post-graduation, I hope to pursue a career in this field, broadcast journalism and/or news production. Although writing is a major aspect of journalism, I want to explore the other ways and media through which stories can be told. Stories are never the same, so we need a variety of ways to effectively tell each and every one of them.