by Alan Blanchard

Junior Tim Devaney, Cornerstone journalism major, who did some sports writing for The Holland Sentinel and Greenville Daily News last year, stretched his wings last summer 2008 reporting on a variety of general interest stories back in his state of Maine. Below he shares what that experience was like for him and offers advice to other students considering doing an internship this coming summer.

BLANCHARD: “Where, when did you do your internship? (Bangor or Portland, Maine?)”

DEVANEY: “I interned at the Bangor Daily News in Maine last summer.”

BLANCHARD: “What kinds of duties did you have?”

DEVANEY: “The best part was writing stories and reporting. I had a great time doing that and it really challenged me to find and highlight interesting news hooks. So probably about three days a week they would send me out on story assignments.”

BLANCHARD: “How many hours do you work a week, how many days a week? Starting, quitting times?”

DEVANEY: “Bangor was pretty flexible with my schedule, but I had nothing else to do most days so I tried to go in five days a week, plus occasional Saturday stories. If I had a story assignment it might require that I show up around 9 a.m., but usually if I didn’t have a story assignment I would come in around 11 a.m. and stay until 7 p.m. or so. The hours really changed day-to-day depending on the specific needs of each day.”

BLANCHARD: “Was there a dress code? If so, what was it?”

DEVANEY: “The first day I showed up in a very fancy black pinstripe suit, and I was way over dressed. I don’t believe Bangor had a specific dress code that it really enforced tightly, because I would commonly see people in the newsroom with T-shirts and shorts on. I think what they cared about more was professionalism and not looking like a slob when you went out on reporting assignments. Nevertheless, I tried to dress to impress. Usually I wore Khaki pants and a dress shirt.”

BLANCHARD: “Talk about the deadlines under which you operated.”

DEVANEY: “Usually the editors would come to me with a story idea they wanted me to cover the next day. There was one time where I had just gotten back from lunch and the editor came to my desk and asked me if I could write a story about a strawberry farm opening for the summer. And he wanted the story by 4 p.m. So I had about three hours to navigate my way to this farm I had never been to, which was about a half-an-hour away, interview the guy as he drove me around the acres of strawberries for a tour, drive back and write the story. It was a challenge, but it was fun.”

BLANCHARD: “Did anything intimidate you on your first day or first week on the internship job?”

DEVANEY: “I can’t really think of anything that intimidated me in the newsroom once I got there. Everyone was very kind and supportive, and they were always looking to help me along the way by inviting me to editors meetings and offering advice with my assignments. I think they favored me because the other intern slacked off, so that helped too. Just days before I started, I began to get really nervous. Could I find the place? Would I get lost? Could I keep up with the rigors of a daily newspaper? But I got there and from the beginning that all changed with Bangor’s supportive culture.”

BLANCHARD: “How do you think your internship affected you?”

DEVANEY: “Oh, it was great! I really enjoyed working for Bangor, and I learned a lot. Actually, a lot of the stuff I picked up I already knew, but the challenge of working for Bangor really drew it out of me. So that was nice to have the confidence that I would do it as I was there, but also the motivation and help to improve.”

BLANCHARD: “Did anything about working at a Maine daily surprise you?”

DEVANEY: “The biggest surprise was really just getting used to the newsroom. I think anytime I head into a new situation, whether it be a new college or church or job, I get nervous about it and make it out to be tougher than what it really is. So when I actually got there and started working it was nice to see that I fit in well with the newsroom.”

BLANCHARD: “What did you enjoy most about your internship?”

DEVANEY: “Oh, definitely covering the stories. The most exciting story I wrote though, is a tough call. I’d probably go with the strawberry farm story, because it was such a fun challenge, and when I went there the guy was really nice and he gave me a tour and even a strawberry he picked from the ground and a can of strawberry jam. That was really cool of him, so it was probably my favorite part. But I also liked covering a parade on July Fourth and seeing how God is always at work behind the scenes. No one else wanted to work on the holiday, so they asked me to. I could have said no, but I figured it was another opportunity to report, so I took the assignment.

Then July Fourth came and I got depressed that I had to work instead of spending time with my family while everyone else was spending time with theirs. But it turned out to be my only front page story and it was a very fun parade to cover … so God worked it out for the best.”

BLANCHARD: “What advice would you give other CU students interested in finding an internship?”

DEVANEY: “It’s not what you know, but who you know. And the first step is getting in. So target which newspapers you want to work for, and get to know important people in those places. Applying earlier is a good idea too, and you must spend a lot of time organizing your resume, cover letter and clips so that it will be the best picture of yourself to the newspaper. … That gets you in, but if you want a successful career you have to prove yourself once you’re there, so always have a good attitude about working harder than everyone else. Work harder, but don’t just leave it at that — be happy about it too. Bob Becker gave me three tips going in that worked: 1) Stay late and be the hardest worker, 2) Offer to take assignments for other reporters as favors to them if they need a break, and 3) Address everyone as Mr. and Ms., until they tell you otherwise.”

Assoc. Prof. Alan Blanchard is Journalism Dept. director — www.cornerstone.edu/journalism