Studying magazine journalism at OU

As a magazine journalism student at the Scripps School, I was aware that there were several options for gaining outstanding journalism experience in Scripps and around campus, and was quick to join POISEfashion magazine (www.poisefashion.com) in order to begin to hone my skills as a magazine writer. Other magazine journalism students I know have had incredibly rewarding experiences in other publications such as speakeasymag.com, The Post, Sphere, as well as through organizations like the Society of Professional Journalists and Scripps Magazine Society.

After I interned at a regional magazine in the Pittsburgh area, I felt that I had made an important step. Like most internships of its kind, mine included fact-checking, some scheduling, interviewing, and contributing to several of the monthly departments - truly a fantastic experience and one I won't forget soon. But, once it was all over, I began to set my sights on something grander. What about the BIG magazine internships? With all the amazing connections available to our journalism students, how does one begin to prepare for this experience and to ultimately secure one of these highly coveted positions?

That's when I found Jen Ator, magazine journalism student and former ASME intern. Here she shares with us some of her secrets for landing, and making the most of, an outstanding internship.

"This summer I was an ASME intern in New York City. For those of you not familiar with ASME (American Society of Magazine Editors), it’s an internship program available only during your junior year. Ask your advisor if you’re interested in finding out more.

I was placed at Guideposts magazine, where I did everything from fact checking, to attending editorial and art concept meetings, pitching stories, and yes, even writing! I also worked with their sister magazine, Positive Thinking, helping with their website and pitching story ideas. ASME also held weekly luncheons everywhere from Newsweek to Money to Self, where I got to meet the likes of Roberta Myers (Editor in Chief of Elle), Sunny Sea Gold (Health Editor of Glamour), and Brandon Holly (Editor in Chief of the late-Jane)—just to name a few.

I came out of New York with a huge wealth of new knowledge, a ton of new contacts and networks, and even two freelancing contracts! My advice is to know what you want and be willing to do the work to get it. Snagging an internship takes time and effort, and it starts long before you send in your application.

Build a foundation of good clips that showcase your writing ability (don’t include anything but your best work! If you’re not 100% proud of it, it will probably fail to impress). Get your resume and cover letter in perfect condition, send it in early, and keep following-up afterward. If you don’t, you’ll just be a piece of paper sitting on their desk. It’s a tough and competitive industry, but if you’re willing to do the work, it will eventually pay off. Best of luck!"

In addition to discovering the ins and outs of internship applying, I wanted to begin to discover what it is that would make me the most marketable to a potential employer. This year's E.W. Scripps Visiting Professor, Mark Tatge, shared with me some of his thoughts what j-school students should be focusing on during their time at Scripps.Tatge comes to us from seven years at Forbes Magazine's Midwest Bureau where he specializes in investigative, enterprise stories on issues that are often overlooked by major media. His job there includes a great deal of creativity, research, and stamina as Forbes attempts to satisfy a sophisticated readership of nearly 1 million. Previously, he worked as a Staff Writer at the Wall Street Journal, and as a Reporter and Staff Writer for The Plain Dealer, The Dallas Morning News, and The Denver Post.

According to Tatge, journalists today must be business savvy. The modern journalist should also be specialized and equipped with analytical skills. It is important, notes Tatge, that a journalist is able to go beyond simply collecting information - he or she must know what it means. While our generation of journalists is being better prepared than in the past, it will still be our responsibility to ensure that we fill this often underemphasized hole in our journalism knowledge base. So, unlike some journalism students think, overcoming the math phobia that most of us have can truly make a difference in our future prospects - so much so, says Tatge, that it could help ensure that our writing commands premium prices from employers.

So how do we get this education? First of all, make sure to stop by Mark Tatge's office during his time here. He has a wealth of knowledge and is committed to utilizing his time here to help students focus on the analytical/business knowledge necessary for the field. During his time at Scripps he hopes to assist in this process by writing curriculum and teaching classes pertaining to this important topic. He hopes that we as students will become aware of the fact that these are the skills needed to be a top journalist - and we need to start acquiring them now. Check out his future classes and monitor ways in which the school is growing over the next few years in terms of more concentration in business - take advantage of these opportunities as they are made available!

As I sat in Tatge's office with visions of myself attaining the skills necessary to analyze numbers dancing in my head, I thought it was about time to ask the million dollar question: So what if, after making the most of the resources available to me while at Scripps, I want to work at Forbes or another business magazine? Tatge says they are great places to work (and despite a former fear of math, I believe him). Make sure to become web savvy as this is an important trend in the business magazine niche. A business journalist requires understanding segments, speculating, analysis, and a lot of experience and analytical skills.