Why Our Interns Joined: Real Stories from Aspiring Local Journalists

Our internship program provides college and high school students with practical journalism experience. More than just writing news stories, the program teaches students how to talk to people, conduct interviews, and conduct themselves professionally.

Here’s what our interns are learning and why they joined:

Skills Development

• Interns are trained to conduct interviews, write news articles, and learn the workflow of a local newsroom.
• They practice fact-based reporting and clear, objective writing, particularly for Small Business Spotlight articles.
• Interns receive personalized feedback, with a focus on creating impactful headlines and mastering the posting process.

Program Insights

During a recent meeting, we discussed professional communication and journalistic integrity.

• Interns were shown how to manage their own story assignments and update progress using an organized posting group.
• Kiser emphasized the importance of clear communication, explaining, “As journalists, we strike out all the extra words and get straight to the point.”

Why They Joined

Each intern shared their unique reasons for joining Potomac Local News:

• Jazbia Fasih Chaudhry, from Colgan High School in Woodbridge, said, “I wanted to try something new and gain journalism experience.”
• Rosa Rivera, from Osbourn High School in Manassas, joined because she aspires to pursue a writing career: “This internship is a great opportunity to build my skills for the future.”
• Aya Karouane, of Stafford, recently promoted to Content Manager, noted, “I joined to learn more about my community. Now, I feel more connected to what’s happening locally.”

Real-World Challenges

The interns practice reaching out to local businesses for interviews, facing the real-world challenge of obtaining responses.

• “The hard part is getting people to respond,” Kiser told the group, “but persistence pays off, especially when promoting unique local businesses.”

Our interns are looking to interview small bsuiness owners to write stories about businesses in our community. We’re providing This FREE service to the community in exchange for allowing our interns to interview them. If interested, please email us.