NBCLA.com Internship Testimonial: Samantha Tata, CSUN 2012

California State University, Northridge, Class of 2012

My first stroll through the KNBC newsroom was exhilarating. When I started my internship in June 2011, I had an understandable case of the first-day jitters but any self-doubt quickly dissipated when I -- within less than two hours -- was given my first assignment.

During my two-month internship, I was given the trust and resources to write nearly 100 articles and through talking with interns that followed me, they were also able to write dozens of creative stories -- many of which they pitched themselves -- because interns are immediately part of the NBCLA web team.

The KNBC newsroom became my summer classroom. It’s a place where I was finally able to apply my J-school training. Remember those classes where you’d discuss what you would do if faced with an ethical dilemma in the newsroom? You’ll find out here.

An internship with the NBCLA web team is not the stereotypical unpaid summer position. You won’t be relegated to fetch coffee or treated as an afterthought if someone on staff needs copies made.

You’re an integral part of the group -- your reporting is valued, your writing is honed, your ideas are encouraged. This is best exemplified in students’ involvement in weekly staff meetings, a time to find and share innovative ways to create and navigate new media.

I brought ideas about writing, editing, social media and news judgment I learned at NBCLA to my university paper and implemented them as the news editor in the fall.

My writing was not the only piece of me that changed during my summer internship. With the support of the web team members, I developed a confidence in myself and my work that I never had before.

Link: Read Samantha's stories

Contact Us