UWG Student Finds Success Through Internship

UWG hosts many job fairs during the spring semester to help the upcoming graduating class with job opportunities. One of the more well-known job fairs is Media Day which is held for Mass Communications students.  UWG also hosts the Graduate and Professional School Fair and the Career and Internship Expo for students in different majors.  

All of these events provide students a way to meet employers and get internship opportunities. However, with the pandemic happening in the spring many companies temporarily canceled their internship programs, while others went virtual.  

Ashley Moore, a senior Mass Communications student, faced this challenge as she moved into a virtual internship during a pandemic.  

“Before my internship began, I feared that it would get canceled due to the pandemic,” Moore said. “However, our news director was determined to still provide a way for students to learn more about the industry, and for that I was so grateful.”  

Because her internship at WRBL-News 3 was conducted virtually, Moore had to take what she had learned in a hands-on setting and do it at home. This meant filming footage using her phone, coming up with stories and ideas from home and conducting interviews virtually.  

“The biggest challenge I faced during my internship was producing video stories,” Moore said. “Due to COVID-19, our entire internship was virtual. We all strived to stay as safe as possible when it came to producing video stories. These stories were mainly how-to videos that demonstrated how to perform a specific activity. The ideas came fairly easy to me.  

“However, the biggest challenge I faced came from filming,” Moore continued. “I lacked knowledge in film basics, such as shots, angles and sequences, so I really struggled with producing videos in the beginning. I noticed improvement weekly, but I learned that filming on an iPhone can be more challenging than it seems.”  

Although the internship was challenging at times, there were many skills Moore learned throughout her college courses that helped her achieve bigger goals and be more prepared.  

“One of the most beneficial courses that prepared me for my internship was Fundamentals of TV Production,” Moore said. “In the course Professor Andrew Will taught us more about what goes on behind the scenes of a newscast. Little did I know how helpful that course would be a few months later.”  

After finishing her internship at WRBL-News 3, Moore was hired on as a production assistant for the station while also juggling school work this year as a senior. She has been very grateful for the opportunities and courses she has taken to prepare her for this position and the busy lifestyle.  

“As a production assistant, I operate cameras, graphics, audio and more,” Moore said. “In Fundamentals of TV Production, we discussed studio operations like those several times. When I’m at the station, I recognize a correlation between the lecture material and new skills that I learn.”  

After graduation in May, Moore hopes to use her skills that she has learned while in school and her skills learned in her internship to apply it to the field.  

“My goal is to keep the public informed and educated from all perspectives,” Moore said. “It is my priority to emphasize facts over opinions to deliver the most accurate and credible version of a story. This is why I chose to become a journalist.”