KSAT has offered internships for years to help introduce students to career paths, and a few former interns are now pursuing their professional careers right back in the same newsroom.
Starting up a career in journalism can be an overwhelming experience, as many college students focus on how to best prepare for life after graduation.
One way to get a better idea about what a career in journalism can look like is by getting an internship in a newsroom, where a student can gain real-world experience while learning from professionals.
KSAT has offered internships for years to help introduce students to career paths, and a few former interns are now pursuing their professional careers right back in the same newsroom.
Did you know these members of the KSAT started as interns?
Outgoing news director Mario Orellana began his career at KSAT 12 in 1995 while in high school. It was the start of a 30-year career, where he worked a wide range of positions in the newsroom.
“It was a great immersion into journalism that I had. (I) had really little to no experience with at that point,” he said. “I just fell in love with the place. I fell in love with journalism.”
One of the newest faces, but not an unfamiliar one in the newsroom, is Devan Karp, a KSAT reporter who first interned in 2017 while attending Trinity University.
“I knew that I wanted to try something at KSAT for the longest time,” Karp said. “You can do a lot of good with hyperlocal storytelling, and I knew that I had to give it a shot.”
Behind the scenes in the newsroom is executive producer Alexandra Diaz, who interned for three semesters before starting her first job at KSAT in 2013.
“There are so many other jobs behind the scenes to get the newscast on TV. If it hadn’t been for my internship, I wouldn’t have even known about producing,” she said.
Daniela Ibarra was a summer intern in 2017 while attending the University of North Texas. She later returned to KSAT 12, where she now lives her dream of being an investigative reporter.
“I knew I wanted to be a reporter, but this is the place that made me know for sure that that’s what I wanted to do,” Ibarra said. “I always looked at KSAT as a standard for how I wanted my work to look.”
Advice from the professionals that were once in an intern’s shoes
No matter where a student gets an internship, the team at KSAT provides advice that applies across the board to any news intern in any newsroom.
“Try different positions, going out with different people, reporters, producers, web, photography, digital — there’s just so many different things that you can do in a newsroom,” Diaz said.
Ibarra said that no matter what role an intern plays, making a mark and being memorable will open more doors.
“Don’t just sit there at your desk. Make sure that people know who you are because the more that they know you, the more they’re willing to take you under their wing,” she said.
New opportunities will arise every day, and one of the best things interns can do is fully immerse themselves in as many experiences as possible.
“I really quickly just started kind of diving into the deep end and shadowing as many people as I could,” Karp said. “I think being at KSAT for an internship provided me the foundation I needed to become a journalist.”
Orellana said one of the most important things to do as a journalist and intern in a newsroom is to stay curious.
“To me, as someone who hires and has a lot of experience with hiring, I want somebody who asks a lot of questions,” he said. “As an intern, it’s the start of a beautiful journey. Live in it, and don’t forget to stop and smell the roses every so often.”
To find more information about KSAT internship opportunities, visit the internships page here.
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