University of Texas at El Paso students preparing to complete their bachelor’s degree in any communications major, such as Digital Media Production and Multimedia Journalism, must look for a media organization to conduct an internship if they wish to succeed in the demanding profession.
An internship is fundamental for future journalists entering the job market, employers say. Students pursuing a major in journalism need a place to practice the craft of the profession and local news media outlets in the El Paso-Ciudad Juarez region offer great opportunities for UTEP students to complete their internship training.
I had the good fortune of being selected for an internship at Entravision Univision 26, one of the highest -rated stations in the region. News Director Uriel Posada gave me the opportunity to enhance my communication skills during the fall 2016 semester. Here I learned two important lessons in reporting the TV news: being fast and accurate.
I was assigned to work on the production team under the supervision of producers Jago Molinet and Phillip Sierra.
As a new intern, I was trained how to operate the studio cameras, produce graphics, run the character generator, checked traffic reports, and kept track of breaking police and fire department news. I had the chance to learn from a variety of news staff, from reporters, anchors, editors, and directors.
During my first week, I mastered the studio cameras during live broadcasts, learning how to focus the camera, zoom in and out and do tracking.
Univision 26 has three studio cameras, which I managed under the supervision of Technical Director signs Genaro Cruz. I learned how to place the camera on the floor to produce needed shots depending on the run downs I received from Cruz.
I assisted the weather anchors, helping them count down to their weather reports. I learned the meaning of a cue, a wrap, a stretch and standby. During live news shows, I was able to produce graphics for sports and news stories. I also learned how to manage sound levels during a live broadcast.
Finally, I also helped out on the assignment desk, where I answered phone calls and checked accident and traffic reports, monitored police scanners and the Texas Department of Transportation web site for breaking news. I also made calls to the Police and Fire Departments to find out about any traffic, fire or crime incidents. My internship days were Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 5 to 10 p.m. At the completion of my internship I received a personal evaluation from the news director and also obtained class credit for completing the internship as a news production assistant.
Based on my experience at Univision 26, I suggest that other future journalists follow in my footsteps by gaining real world broadcast journalism experience in a news room where they will learn the skills they need from a top-notch professional news staff.
