It’s an assignment that even experienced journalists would jump at – covering election night for a national television network. Three West Virginia University Reed College of Media students got that chance while still in school.
Tyler Channell, a graduate student from Williamson, West Virginia; Tiet Tran, a senior from Sterling, Virginia; and Shishira Sreenivas, a graduate student from Bangalore, India, traveled to New York City to intern for ABC News’ social media department. They Skyped with journalists from “Good Morning America,” “ABC World News Tonight” and “Nightline” for several months in preparation for the 2014 midterm elections.
All three students had specific roles on election night. Channell assisted ABC News with the launch of their Snapchat account, an idea that he pitched to producers, and edited video of various campaign ads for social media. Channell said the internship opened his eyes to opportunities he never knew existed.
“I didn’t think it was possible to work at the network level at my age, but so many people at ABC News were in their 20’s,” said Channell. “It’s motivating to know that where I want to be is a real possibility.”
“Working in the Times Square Studio was an adrenaline rush,” said Tran. I feel more confident in my abilities as a journalist now, and I’m ready to graduate in December and pursue my lifelong dream in this field.”
Sreenivas worked on set alongside the Google Trends team in Good Morning America’s “Social Square” to provide real-time coverage of the election via Google. “Social Square” is a digital studio that engages viewers on a daily basis with the broadcast and social conversation.
“Being given the opportunity to sit on a “live” studio set in the same room as George Stephanopoulos and David Muir and watch them cover midterm elections live for seven straight hours was not only inspiring, but a realization of how much hard work, dedication and team work goes into producing such a large broadcast on a network level,” said Screenivas. “After spending three days working alongside seasoned journalists, I am more convinced than ever before that being a foreign correspondent is exactly what I want to do. This experience has given me the insight and confidence to move forward along that path.”
Andrew Springer, senior editor for social media at ABC News, worked alongside the students and said engaging millennials in news coverage through social media is crucial to informing the current generation about important issues affecting the country.
“For social media searches, Twitter and Facebook are what people are talking about, Google is what people are curious about,” Springer said.
Teaching Associate Professor Gina Dahlia, who accompanied the students to New York City, is the adviser and liaison between ABC News and the WVU Reed College of Media. She said there is no substitution for hands-on experience and she appreciates ABC News for providing real-world opportunities to these students.