Source: University of Iowa
Bailey Cichon, a junior at the University of Iowa, was devastated when she found out she could no longer travel to New York to work at her dream summer internship.
Cichon, a Journalism and American Studies major, had initially received a fellowship with the International Radio and Television Society Foundation in New York City to pursue an internship at the Crime and News Network. The fellowship, named after Iowa alumni James Feniger, a founding member of the Society, would have not only paid for her housing, but also provided her with an income, as the internship is unpaid.
She first heard of the opportunity while visiting New York with a class at the University of Iowa. Through an invite-only class, she traveled to the city and got to meet with Brian Ross, a notable Iowa alumni who has worked for Good Morning America, Nightly World News, and 20/20.
“It was definitely a game changer,” she says.
Although the studio typically only considers seniors or those who have graduated, Ross encouraged her to apply. Cichon was ecstatic to learn she had been chosen for the position, but even more when she learned a fellowship would help her pay for living costs in New York.
The position was created specifically for Cichon, as the studio was impressed with her experience and savvy with social media platforms and other digital media skills she brought to the table.
However, in response to the COVID 19 pandemic, the office in New York City shut down, and she has been working remotely from her hometown of Greenwood in Wisconsin. Cichon was disappointed, but has since found positives in it.
She says it has been an amazing experience working with Brian Ross, someone she has looked up to. She describes the excitement of him remembering her name in a video conference or the continued email correspondence. She’s grateful to still be able to work from home. The fellowship she originally applied for is letting her apply again next year.
She says that she has been getting compliments on her videos from everyone within the company, even the CEO. For someone who has only been doing video editing for around a year, she’s amazed at the results and proud of all she has accomplished.
“It has been surreal,” she says.
Cichon is also working her dream job, something she hadn’t imagined would be possible as a student. She makes social media videos for the organization, which are mostly 60 second trailers for their upcoming coverage.
Moving forward, Cichon is interested “in the intersection of social media and traditional broadcast journalism” and how journalism can embrace new technology.
“I believe that broadcast journalism has a very bright future in social media. I want to work to pioneer new things,” she says.
For more information or interviews, please contact University of Iowa.
Edit: The World Education News(WEN)
