Attach a 500 word essay that discusses, explores and critically analyzes an issue that relates to your field of interest. Conduct a search and consult with faculty to learn about trends and issues in the field. This is your opportunity to demonstrate background knowledge, interest in your field and, above all, important writing and communication skills that our internship site partners look for in an ideal intern.
Sample Issues Essay #1
Ted Koppel, longtime anchor of ABC News’
Nightline, quipped that a journalist should always get a story first; but first, he should get it second. Running stories without credible sources is an issue concerning journalism today, just as it was in years past. In American football, the left tackle position is concerned with protecting the quarterback’s blindside from hits by defensive players. At left tackle, it is not the fifty five snaps the player took during the game when he protected the quarterback from a blindside hit that people notice. Instead, people remember the one snap the left tackle took when he failed to block the defender and the quarterback was sacked for a loss. Similarly, in journalism, it is not the innumerable times a journalist verifies his sources and double checks his information that people notice, but it is the one time he fails to verify a story that people remember and that could ultimately cost the journalist his job.A recent case in point of irresponsible journalism is Andrew Breitbart’s publishing on his news website a video of controversial statements made by Shirley Sherrod at a fundraising dinner for the NAACP. Breitbart’s rush to publish illustrates why it is necessary to get the story second. Because of his shoddy verification, Shirley Sherrod faced public scrutiny and a forced resignation from her post in the Department of Agriculture.
