CNN- Anderson Cooper 360

Company: CNN – Anderson Cooper 360

City: New York, NY

Unpaid

I can’t comment completely on this experience as I’ve only been here for about a month. That being said, I have thoroughly enjoyed working at CNN. I feel like the company has a very well structured intern program that is focused on incorporating it’s interns into everyday work tasks as well as training them extensively. I have attended training sessions on various news-related software that have not only boosted my resume, but also my work skills. The staff is very friendly, and us interns are utilized by all types of staff members. I find that I am busy the vast majority of the day, and the work day goes by very quickly. If you are interested in hard news and politics, CNN is definitely a great opportunity. I have heard that the internship is very competitive, but it’s absolutely worth the effort. I wish I could elaborate more!

MSNBC- Morning Joe Show

Company: MSNBC – Morning Joe

City: New York, NY

Unpaid

Morning Joe boasts a small staff of very friendly, albeit busy, people. This was my first television experience and I learned a lot about how a show is put together. That being said, Morning Joe is not scripted, so it functions differently from some other strictly news programs. Working at NBC was a rewarding experience, they plan a lot of intern events and also offer a lot of support for interns and are very interested in retaining interns for future internships and full-time positions. However, they are a very large company and there is little attention paid to interns personally – it’s easy to get lost in the shuffle. I’ve also heard from other interns that many NBC shows do not appreciate their interns and pages. I did experience a lack of initiative among the staff to interact with the interns at my show, but I chalked it up to how busy they were, and the fact that my show did not appoint an intern coordinator because it was such a small group. If you are interested in a career in TV, I would definitely recommend getting an internship at NBC, and if you like it stay on for as long as possible. NBC hires most people from inside the company, and getting your foot in the door is a good first step. Just be aware that you are viewed as more of an intern than a valuable member of the team.