Past Issues

• Vol 7 No. 3
• Vol 7, No. 2
• Vol 7, No. 1
• Vol 6, No. 2
• Vol 6, No. 1
• Vol 5, No. 2
• Vol 5, No. 1
• Vol 4, No. 2
• Vol 4, No. 1

The 360 View
Marian Azzaro,, ICIG Head
Roosevelt University
mazzaro@roosevelt.edu

As I sit here tonight, poised over my laptop, I find myself at once looking back and planning ahead. I'm looking back happily over all that we've accomplished for the Internships and Careers Interest Group. From the day several years ago when Alan Kirkpatrick (then an incoming head) first "cornered" me at the AEJMC new members breakfast. Until now, I have personally witnessed some truly outstanding programming and increasing interest in this group by the general membership and the scholars among us

For me, our program in Toronto was proof positive of the progress we've made as an interest group. First, we had a terrific line-up of panel sessions in Toronto featuring outstanding partnerships with some of the largest AEJMC divisions; Advertising, Public Relations, Minorities & Communication, and Communication Theory & Methodology to name a few. Then there were the impressive speakers we had on most panels; like Lee Becker who offered a sneak peak at the UGA Annual Survey of JMC Graduates and John Edelman of Edelman PR who spoke of the need for a more diverse work force. And, then there were the three terrific research papers we had submitted by scholars from across the country, east to west. 

Yes, Toronto was a great conference, but we can do even better still. In early December we will be on our way to San Antonio where Bil and I will have the pleasure of programming our conference schedule for next summer. We, both of us, hope that you all are sending in your great ideas for programming. We're looking forward to another terrific year, but we can only get there with your help.

So here I am, seeing things from all angles tonight. I'm looking back and looking ahead. I'm remembering things from east to west. And, I'm thinking about our move from Toronto in the north to San Antonio in the south. That's what I call a 360-view!

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SanAntonio 2005: ICIG Programming

Bil Morrill, ICIG Vice-Head & Program Chair
University of Oregon
bmorrill@uoregon.edu

On a cold and rainy December Oregon morning I will be boarding a plane to warm and sunny San Antonio. In my possession I will be carrying some precious cargo, your ideas, plans and goals for next year's conference. I am excited (and somewhat scared) about having the opportunity to attend the Winter Conference and work with the other Interest Groups and Divisions to bring the best programs together. (I'm also excited to try some real Texas BBQ!) I have had the opportunity to read a proposal for next year, and I am looking forward to this conference. Together, we can make San Antonio the best conference yet.

We need to start collecting programming ideas for next year's conference. At the Winter Conference I will take your ideas and with the help of others be able to make them part of next year's conference. We do not have a lot of time to get ready for this meeting so I need your help right away. It is time to turn your ideas into proposals.

Remember those great panel thoughts you've had as you worked with your students in supervising their internships? Well, now is the time to turn your ideas into proposals. Whether it was international internships, internship assessments, ethical issues for interns, or new developments in career planning for journalism and mass communications students, this is your opportunity to add dimension to the idea and submit it as a formal proposal. We need to receive all formal proposals by Monday, October 25, 2004.

For all proposals, please include the following details:

• Suggested Panel Title
• Suggested panel Type (Research, PF&R, and Teaching)
• Possible Panel Co-Sponsors (Other AEJMC divisions or interest groups that might share an interest in this topic)
• Summary Statement of the proposed session content (a short paragraph or two)
• Suggested Panelists or Speakers
• Key Contact Person for this panel.

All panel proposals should be emailed to Bil Morrill at bmorrill@uoregon.edu by Oct. 25 of 2004. Proposals should be submitted as text in the email or as an attached Microsoft Word document.

If you have some ideas you are thinking about but would like to discuss further possibilities, please feel free to email me, and we can brainstorm together ideas. I look forward to reading your proposals and will do the best I can to make them happen in San Antonio. Once again, thank you for your help, and I look forward to meeting each one of you next year in San Antonio.

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So many Questions, so many Answers

Carson B. Wagner, Research Chair
University of Texas at Austin
carson.wagner@mail.utexas.edu

New questions arise every day about the best ways to prepare our students for success, especially given how rapidly the media landscape continues to transform. Although there may be no simple answers, generating new insights about practices and principles of pre-professional training is one of ICIG's most important roles in serving the field of journalism and mass communication.

Over the past decade, ICIG has continued to host a wide range of empirical studies that address these questions. Much in the way that we seek to learn from as well as to shape media industries, the research is not only based in theory, it also informs theory. In the spirit of maintaining this proud tradition, please consider submitting your own work for presentation at next year's conference in San Antonio, Texas. 

ICIG welcomes research from a variety of methodologies and perspectives, from surveys, experiments, and content analyses to making students more attractive to employers and making internships more attractive to students. Past presentations have surrounded some of the most intriguing posers we face on a daily basis, such as differing expectations between employers and students, the use of internship supervisor evaluations for program assessment, the benefits of internal college internships, preparing journalism students for the convergent newsroom, and how undergraduates process persuasive messages about internships.

Although AEJMC's April 1 deadline for paper submissions may seem far off in the distance, it never ceases to amaze me how quickly it approaches. So whatever questions you may have, there's no time like the present to start answering them. And if you'd like to be among the first to see what questions others are posing, please drop me a line and ask about becoming an ICIG paper submission reviewer.

Looking forward to hearing from you and to serving as your ICIG Research Chair.

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Panels for San Antonio

Rachele Kanigel, PF&R Chair
San Francisco State University
kanigel@sfsu.edu

As any active AEJMC member knows, one of the best ways to meet people and get involved in the organization - not to mention add a line to your CV - is to speak on a panel. But often the very people who most want to get up to the podium don't feel they have the connections they need to get on a panel.

Now you do. You're reading this. And by extension you know me.

As ICIG's Professional Freedom and Responsibility Chair I'm responsible for gathering proposals for our PF&R sessions. I'm looking for panel proposals that will further ICIG's PF&R mission.
What exactly is PF&R? According to the AEJMC Web site, it covers FREE
EXPRESSION; ETHICS; MEDIA CRITICISM AND ACCOUNTABILITY; RACIAL, GENDER AND CULTURAL INCLUSIVENESS; and PUBLIC SERVICE.
Clearly a lot of what we do in ICIG falls into these categories. Among the issues that come to mind: conflicts of interest in the profession, hiring disparities, the ethics of hiring. 

If you have an idea for a panel, please send a proposal to me at
kanigel@sfsu.edu. It should include a:

• Proposed Title (make it catchy)
• Description (two to four sentences)
• Suggestions for co-sponsors (divisions or interest groups that might be
  interested)
• Proposed moderator
• Proposed panelists (at least two people, but you may want to save a
  seat or two for the co-sponsoring group)

Questions? Feel free to e-mail kanigel@sfsu.edu or call 415- 338-3134. Please
e-mail your proposal ASAP. See you next summer in San Antonio!

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Teaching to the top: Best practices take into account "hybrid" students

Rosanne Pagano,
ICIG Teaching Chair
University of Alaska, Anchorage Assistant Professor of Journalism
afrp@uaa.alaska.edu

The more I work with interns, the more I'm convinced that their hybrid status-part uncertain undergraduate, part entry-level professional - qualifies them for a fine-tuned form of instruction. As I look forward to my sixth year as our department's internship director, I've got my own ideas, some of them learned the hard way, about just what that focused instruction ought to be. As ICIG's new teaching chair, I'm eager to hear from you as I work this year to draft a list of teaching best practices for those of us who oversee JMC interns.

An observation to start: Journalism and mass communications students whose class work, grades, temperament and portfolios show that they're ready for pre-professional training are among our top students. If we've trained them right, they're eager to leave the classroom-and us instructors-behind.

And yet.

These competent, bright, productive students sometimes give in to the self-doubt that naturally comes with change, especially if the first or second attempt at landing that dream internship flops. Can fine-tuned instruction help teach how professionals use setbacks to improve? Is there a role for peer teaching or simulation? Should there be?

As we strive to prepare effective interns, how valuable are cooperative group assignments, exams and instilling an awareness of the student's own learning style? Should a best practice for teaching interns include a statement on fostering responsibility for one's own learning? How to accomplish that?

I'm eager to think out loud with you about these and other best practices. One practice I'm committed to is "modeling"-the notion that effective teaching is built on an instructor's infectious enthusiasm for learning. A quick review of our department's most effective interns reveals that they were not only competent but that they also were eager to learn. Where does this eagerness come from? Can it be taught? I'm convinced that demonstrating a love of learning, and pointing out the cascading personal and professional benefits that stem from it, should rank near the top of best practices for internship directors.

Now it's your turn. The questions I've raised here are as a good a place as any to begin. Try answering one or two and sending a quick e- mail my way (afrp@uaa.alaska.edu). I'll share your observations in newsletter articles and offer a few more of my own.

If you're new to the internships and careers interest group, welcome. You've joined a nationwide network of engaged colleagues devoted to instructing students as they move from school to work and beyond. Please get involved in ICIG by serving on panels, contributing research or reviewing papers, and serving as discussants or moderators.

Returning members, thank you. Our group succeeds because of your dedication.

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Suggestions on dealing with a difficult intern

Nancy M. Somerick, Ph.D., Professor and Director of Internship Program,
School of Communication, The University of Akron
nmsomer@uakron.edu

At some point, anyone who manages an academic internship program will probably encounter a difficult intern. Various problems, such as procrastination, poor quality work, and negative attitude, may become magnified for a student who has any of these traits because the student is not in a structured classroom setting. In the "real world," the traits can reflect badly on the student as well as on the student's internship program.

What can be done to deal with interns who have these and other problems? Here are some suggestions that might help.

1. Present written deadlines along with penalties that will result in not meeting the deadlines. Encourage each intern's supervisor to present written deadlines and penalties for assigned projects, as well.
2. Be sure that the student understands professional standards of work expected of an intern. These standards, such as the need for clear, concise writing and speaking, factual accuracy, documented activities and clock hours, and appropriate attire, should be stated in writing and transmitted to the intern and to the intern's supervisor at the beginning of an academic term. During the internship, the supervisor can use these standards to conduct regular performance appraisals.
3. Encourage each intern to develop a professional demeanor and to interact pleasantly with everyone encountered during the internship. Explain the importance of accepting constructive criticism as a learning experience and emphasize the importance of avoiding turf battles, cliques, and gossip about what is going on in the organization.
4. Remind the intern that what happens during the internship can have a long-term impact on future aspirations. In most cases, the internship experience will become a part of the intern's resume. And, an intern's academic program manager and supervisor may be asked for a reference for years after the internship has ended.
5. Consider consulting appropriate resources at the academic institution. (For example, tutorial or counseling programs might be helpful.) If confidentiality is a concern, check with the institution's legal counsel. (Perhaps advice maybe obtained without divulging the identity of the intern.)

Of course, there are no easy solutions to problems of procrastination, poor quality work and negative attitude. If these problems are identified, the manager of the academic internship program can talk with the intern – and if necessary, the intern's supervisor – to develop a strategic plan to help solve these problems.

Cinderella Man (and Woman)

Mark Nordstrom, ICIG Newsletter Editor/Webmaster
Lincoln University
nordstrom@lincolnu.edu

During the time we were meeting in Toronto for the summer conference Ron Howard, Russell Crowe and Renée Zellweger were making a movie there. It will be out in 2005, entitled "Cinderella Man." It's the story of Depression-era fighter Jim Braddock, who defeated heavyweight champ Max Baer in a 15-round fight in 1935. It was one of biggest upsets in the history of boxing. Braddock had somehow made a tremendous improvement in his abilities and then surged to the top.

A poor student can make the same kind of marvelous transition with an internship. Many students who sit in class and pay little attention, do assignments only half-heartedly, and disregard their work for the most part get charged up when they actually get involved in a working organization. There's something about seeing people coming to work and doing the things the student has been told about in class that suddenly makes it seem more important. There are several new perspectives students talk about after internships.

Some say they can now see how they would fit into the world of journalism. Others say school had become such a boring routine that seeing actual journalism at work had been a refreshing change. Others just like the newsroom atmosphere and come back to school knowing they want to get there. Most of them have had job experience in the various part-time work they do to help pay for their educations, but the experience of work as a journalist is something special and new and it charges them up.

It usually means better attentiveness to their remaining classes. In one case a student even did better in biology and got a B in a class he had dropped several times for fear of failing it. This story is not typical and your results may vary, but a good internship usually gives a student a boost.

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