On Friday I attended an event at the National Press Club. For those who do not know what the NPC is it is an organization that is just for journalists. According to its website the purpose of the club is to “provide people who gather and disseminate news a center for the advancement of their professional standards and skills, the promotion of free expression, mutual support and social fellowship.”
The speaker was a prominent USA Today journalist and also the president of the organization. She spoke about her experiences as a journalist. She had all kinds of different stories from her times working the beat in Miami to her time reporting from Iraq at the beginning of the war. During the question and answer period I had the opportunity to ask her a question. I asked “How can I make the most of my internship?” Her response was targeted toward future journalist but relates to each and every one of us no matter what internship we have. She told me that I should wake up at midnight and read every single news story and then write two news stories from those that are the biggest stories of the day. Even though I am not a journalism student she made me realize that my internship is not just a “9 to 5 job”. I need to do much more in order to get the most out my internship. I should be reading, researching, and learning about anything that is being discussed in my office. The issues that we come across in Washington are complicated. We work with very smart, competent people and it is our duty not only to ourselves but to the people we work for to be best informed and be ready to do what is asked of us.
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