VPR Brave Little State/Engagement Journalism Internship – Deadline date: July 30!
Brave Little State/Engagement Journalism interns are responsible for learning about what goes into producing a longform narrative podcast and developing the skills required for meaningful audience engagement and high-quality reporting and storytelling. In the service of this, you will assist the Engagement Journalism team in multiple aspects of their work on Brave Little State, Vermont Public’s people-powered journalism podcast, and help us collaborate with the Vermont Public Newsroom. This may include contributing research, gathering audio, producing promos, publishing web builds, engaging listeners over social media and contributing your own reporting to the show.
Who Should Apply?
Any student (undergrad or graduate) studying journalism, media, communication or with an interest in public media journalism are eligible. Applicant must be able to be physically based in Vermont for the duration of the internship and should also have access to reliable transportation for occasional on-site work.
How to Apply?
Applicants must fill out the Vermont Public Job Application form and send it with a cover letter and resume by email to careers@vermontpublic.org by or before July 31, 2022. Only email applications will be accepted.
What You’ll Leave With?
Brave Little State/Engagement Journalism interns will complete the program with a portfolio of work to carry with them into the professional world. You will also be qualified to apply for early career production assistant/assistant producer positions.
Details:
Internship: 20hrs/week, September 15, 2022 through May 18, 2023 (Start/end dates flexible) Compensation: $17/hour
Vermont College of Fine Arts internship/job opportunity!
Role Description
VCFA Assistant to the President – Summer 2022 Internship
Employment Status: Part time, 30-35 hours per week, with the option to work full time (if desired). This position can be fully in person, hybrid, or fully remote.
Pay Range: $750-1000/per week
VCFA is looking for an interim Assistant to the president while the search for a permanent candidate takes place between Summer-Fall 2022. The Office of the President has developed a paid summer internship to provide a student or recent grad with an enriching learning opportunity to support a relationship-driven center of graduate arts education. This position will require 30-35 hours per week with the option to work full time (if desired), providing ample flexibility for the intern to apply and interview for other opportunities and long-term positions. Interested applications from all academic disciplines are welcome to apply, and candidates from arts and education focused fields strongly encouraged.
JOB SUMMARY:
The Assistant to the President Intern reports directly to the President and works closely with executive leadership to support a dynamic fast pace team. The intern will support written communications for the Office of the President, including emails, community communications, meeting agendas and minutes, feedback surveys, and other materials. This position will be responsible for regularly maintaining calendars and electronic files for the President, and Executive Staff on occasion. This responsibility involves coordinating scheduling with both internal and external college stakeholders to arrange Zoom meetings, phone calls, and in-person gatherings on and off campus.
This position additionally supports the Office of Institutional Advancement with projects related to major gifts and fundraising, tracking communications between the President and key donors, maintaining research and constituent files, and other related administrative tasks. The intern plays an important role in the management of the VCFA board of trustees, coordinating quarterly meetings, managing document portals, and supporting committee work.
The Intern works cooperatively with other departments, staff, and faculty as liaison to the Office of the President, providing the first line of communication for purposes of problem solving and troubleshooting. This position is expected to conduct all operations with a high degree of professionalism, diplomacy, and confidentiality. This position requires excellent interpersonal communication skills both written and oral, attention to detail, and the ability to operate at a fast pace and switch priorities efficiently.
Click here to learn more about the opportunity and to apply!
Wondering How to Break Into the World of Public Art?
New York Foundation for the Arts (NYFA) compiled resources to help those of you who are interested in breaking into the realm of public art or presenting your work in the public realm. This includes a recent NYFA article, open calls, resource pages, and events.
Public Art Projects with Impact: A Conversation with Lina Montoya
Staten Island-based artist Lina Montoya talks about her public art projects in collaboration with communities. Click here to read the full interview on NYFA’s blog.
Emerging Reporters 2022-2023 – Deadline date: August 8!
What is ProPublica’s Emerging Reporters Program?
The Emerging Reporters Program provides $9,000 stipends, along with mentoring and trips to investigative journalism conferences, such as the National Institute for Computer-Assisted Reporting conference, to five students each year who work or want to work at college journalism outlets: newspapers, websites, radio stations or TV stations. Check out our previous emerging reporters and apply here by Monday, Aug. 8.
Why does ProPublica’s Emerging Reporters Program exist?
People of color are underrepresented in our nation’s newsrooms. The most recent survey by the American Society of News Editors suggests that people of color make up a quarter of U.S. newsroom employees. Often, those numbers are even smaller in newsrooms focused on investigative reporting.
ProPublica has a vested interest in developing more journalists from diverse backgrounds, particularly those who are economically disadvantaged. We consider it crucial to the future of our industry and to our own ability to fulfill our mission, which is to expose abuses of power and produce journalism that provokes change. Without the voices and points of view of more journalists of color, there is every reason to believe that important stories are being overlooked. Barriers that keep aspiring journalists of color from entering the field include financial constraints and lack of access to mentors and training. The Emerging Reporters Program is aimed at lowering those barriers.
Who is eligible for the program?
The Emerging Reporters Program is specifically designed for talented aspiring journalists who find investigative journalism inaccessible for financial reasons. All students who will be juniors or seniors in college this academic year are eligible to apply, and students from groups that are traditionally underrepresented in journalism, including people of color, are especially encouraged to do so. Participants are expected to take a full course load during the 2022-23 school year. Applicants must also demonstrate financial need. The Emerging Reporters Program is only open to U.S. citizens or U.S. residents, for tax purposes. We will not make any exceptions to this rule.
When does the program typically run?
This year’s program will run from September to June, during which time mentors and program participants will be in contact by phone and email. Students will receive stipends of $4,500 each at the beginning of the program and at its midway point.
Do students need to pay for their own expenses for the conferences?
No! Accommodations and other expenses for the conferences will be covered by ProPublica. The dates of the conferences are to be determined.
Click here to learn more about the program and to apply today!
NBC Academy: Upcoming Workshops — Apply by July 1st!
The NBCU News Group (CNBC, NBC News, MSNBC and Telemundo News) will be hosting application-only workshops for journalists looking to refine and develop their skills. For the first time in two years, their summer conference workshops are back in person.
They want to encourage all those interested to apply. Don’t miss the opportunity to grow as a professional storyteller and learn from NBCU News Group journalists and senior leaders.
Please click the links below to see applications.
AAJA workshops application: July 27 – July 30
NABJ/NAHJ workshops application: August 3 – August 7
NLGJA workshops application: September 8 – September 11
To help streamline the process, they are using a common application for NBC News, MSNBC, CNBC and Telemundo. Applicants are welcome and encouraged to apply for all workshops.
Master Business Essentials with Harvard Business School’s Online CORe Program
Harvard Business School Online is pleased to collaborate with Middlebury College to provide benefits to current students with qualifying financial need who are taking the HBS Credential of Readiness (CORe) program and the Business Analytics, Economics for Managers, and Financial Accounting individual certificate programs. With your consent, Middlebury will share information with HBS Online to allow the program to offer need-based scholarships to offset the cost of these programs. Details are available here.
The Credential of Readiness (CORe) is a rigorous online program consisting of three courses—Business Analytics, Economics for Managers, and Financial Accounting—designed to help you achieve fluency in the language of business. You will develop deep-seated problem solving skills and the confidence to contribute to business discussions and decision making.
Learning requirements: In order to earn the Credential of Readiness, participants must do the following:
- Thoughtfully complete all modules by stated deadlines
- Satisfactorily participate in courses through reflections and cold calls, for example
- Demonstrate content mastery through satisfactory completion of module quizzes
- Earn a passing score on the final exam of all three component courses
Final Exam: The CORe final exam is a three-hour, multiple-choice, closed book assessment created by HBS faculty and delivered via the HBS Online course platform. The exam is offered to participants after successful completion of the program during defined time periods following the last module deadline.
Alum Conversation with Jason Vrooman ’03, Curator at Middlebury College Museum of Art
Alum Conversation is a new podcast series of The Middlebury Campus Multimedia. In this series, they interview Middlebury alumni. Some of them currently work at Middlebury College, some supplied the salmon at school dining halls, and some started the first mountain bike company in Afghanistan. They have diverse backgrounds, studied different majors, now work in various industries, but share the same passion for Middlebury. From the toughest class they have taken to their major decisions, from their favorite spots on campus to career advice, alumni will share their experiences at Middlebury, life after college, industry-specific information, and more. Click here to read or listen to the complete interview with Jason Vrooman.
The Artist Statement: 5 Do’s and Don’ts
New York Foundation for the Arts (NYFA) staff read thousands of artist statements a year. Here is their advice on what to do, and what not to do.
The artist statement. Frequently required in residency applications, project proposals, and grant applications, creating this document can be a pain point for artists who want to get it just right. The goal is to get to the heart of who you are creatively, and how that informs your work. It gives you the opportunity to sell your work and ideas, which is not something that comes naturally to a lot of artists.
NYFA Staff members are no strangers to the artist statement, collectively reviewing thousands of statements a year. Here, they share five things they like to see in artist statements, and five pet peeves.
Q and A with Alums in the Publishing Industry!
Are you interested in a publishing career? There’s more to the industry than screening submissions and marking up manuscripts.
Four Middlebury alumni who have worked as editors, agents, reporters, and writers shared their insight into the multi-faceted world of publishing. They opened up about the most relevant trade publications worth following, their best advice for interviews, and getting the most out of any experience.
Isabelle Bleecker ’88, Founding Agent, Nordlyset Literary Agency
Krista Karlson ’17, Managing Editor, Active Interest Media
Peter Knobler ’68, Writer
Carolyn Kuebler ’90, Editor, New England Review
PCA Hannah McKenzie ’19 asked Isabelle, Krista, Peter, and Carolyn about the best strategies for entering and succeeding in the field. Take a look at their tips!
Hannah: What trade publications should students follow to understand the current trends?
Carolyn: Literary Hub and Publishers Weekly
Isabelle: Publishers Weekly is the best for the American market and The Bookseller for the UK. Both also have free daily newsletters. Online, Publishers Marketplace is a terrific resource for jobs. Also, Michael Shatzkin has a blog about changes in the industry. And last, Shelf Awareness is a free e-newsletter primarily for booksellers but with some industry news.
Krista: Columbia Journalism Review and the New York Times media column
Hannah: What books should students read regarding the history and future of the industry?
Carolyn: If you really want to dig deep into literary magazines more specifically, there are some really interesting books on the subject: The Little Magazine in America (1979), The Little Magazine in Contemporary America (2015), Paper Dreams (2013)–there are others!
Isabelle: Andre Shiffrin’s The Business of Books and Jason Epstein’s Book Business. Though both are a bit old now and lament the loss of a more golden time, they give some lively history and are by great editors. I don’t think there’s any book that describes what’s going on now well, especially the growth of the self-publishing and electronic and audio books. For the future of the industry trade magazines are better.
Krista: It really depends what your goal is. Letters to a Young Journalist by Samuel Freedman is decently helpful for people who want to work at a newspaper, although somewhat outdated since the media landscape has since changed dramatically. Congratulations, Who Are You Again? by Harrison Scott Key is good for people who want to write a nonfiction book or to freelance. Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott is meant for novelists but has some good, transferable advice that could apply to freelance journalists.
Hannah: What are some digital/technical skills you look for in entry-level candidates?
Carolyn: While we don’t expect everyone to have experience working with the same programs we work with, we do like to see a demonstrated ability and interest in learning new technologies. Software we use includes the usual Office suite; some Adobe programs, like InDesign, Photoshop, etc.; and website publishing, such as WordPress. More and more we’re interested in audio editing experience, too. As for editorial work, a familiarity with the Chicago Manual of Style is nice, but not expected, for newcomers. For being a manuscript reader, participation in creative workshops is helpful.
Isabelle: The general Microsoft Office software set–Word and a familiarity with how to use the review tab is helpful. Excel, for the business side of things. It’s helpful to have some database experience as there’s a lot of data on the nuts-and-bolts side of the business. It may seem obvious, but if you want to be in the book business, first and foremost you need to be a reader. Ideally of the genre in which you want to work. And the more, the better.
Hannah: Do you have an interview dos or don’ts?
Peter: It’s most effective to be direct and candid. I try to control the impulse to be crafty; the most productive interviews I ever gave or took were undisrupted by calculation or doubt. Say what you’ve got to say; if your interviewer doesn’t want the person you are, you’re best not to waste your time at that job.
Isabelle: Be ready to talk about what you’re reading and to pitch a book (depending on what you’re going for). Present yourself as a problem solver. And in looking at job listings, think beyond editorial. There are lots of great opportunities in book publishing in sales, marketing, publicity, subsidiary rights. I started out in editorial and production and then moved to selling subsidiary rights–this is the business side of publishing and it entails licensing book content to other publishers, which earns money for the publishers and authors beyond book sales. Becoming an agent is a great combination of those experiences–I develop projects with my authors and also sell their book rights to print and audio publishers around the world, as well as for film and TV rights, among other rights. It’s dealmaking and creative work that makes every day stimulating.
Hannah: What is one key to success in the industry?
Krista: Persistence. You’re going to receive a lot of rejection. This was really hard for me to adjust to at first. It’s not personal. The more you push through rejection and learn from it, the more rewarding it will be when you have a success.
Carolyn: Willingness to try your hand at marketing or other areas of publishing, even if what really drives you is editorial acquisition and content shaping.
Isabelle: Publishing is not a well paid industry, but there is rarely a dull day or dull colleagues and that makes it very satisfying in the long term. It does often demand long hours and a willingness to jump in and take more things on. Putting in extra time can lead to success. Also, be deliberate in your choices. Aim to work for a publisher–or website, or news outlet–whose publications you really admire and can support.
Hannah: Any final tips to share?
Isabelle: Publishing jobs are very competitive. Internships give you a definite edge. Also, participation in any kind of book or writing-related activities–staffing a journal, working at a bookstore, interning for an agent. Those will give you a leg up.
Krista: Every experience is a learning experience. I worked for a year and a half as an editor at a fishing magazine, even though I had very little interest in fishing. But I had an amazing mentor and I learned a ton about journalism. I came out of the experience with very tangible, transferable skills, and way more confidence than when I started.
Carolyn: Don’t be afraid to ask people you know to ask people they know to help you locate some leads. A personal note from someone can help a hiring manager who’s looking at a lot of equally qualified (and overqualified) applicants. You could also contact literary magazines (or presses) who are looking for volunteers and get some experience that way. Also, more and more nonprofit presses are offering what they call editorial fellowships, for entry level candidates, in an attempt to diversify the field of publishing. Look for these, and ask around!
If you’d like to get in touch with these accomplished alumni and others, you can reach out to them on Midd2Midd.
