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By Michele Tallarita ’12
Samantha George ’12 in New York City
Samantha George ’12 (Dublin, Ohio) is working on her radio voice.
Amid the honking horns and towering skyscrapers of New York City, George is getting a taste of the airwaves at a historic hub of broadcast journalism this summer. She scored an internship with 1010 WINS, a division of CBS radio—and the longest-running all-news radio station in the United States.
The Big-Apple internship takes George one step closer to her dream of becoming a broadcast journalist. At WINS, she is interviewing, writing, editing, and reporting news stories for broadcast. An English major, George is learning a lesson in conciseness: stories for news radio last no longer than 40 seconds.
“I also have to learn how to use my voice to engage listeners, because there are no visuals that go along with what you are saying,” says George. “That so far has been the biggest challenge.”
George is enjoying the one-on-one attention that she gets at the station, which accepted only two interns this summer. “When we write practice stories, my internship coordinator and the news director sit down with us and critique our work,” she says. “They honestly make you feel as though you are a part of their staff and show you what news radio is actually like.”
Being part of the staff also means getting press passes to go out and cover events. George was the most excited about covering the city’s extravagant Fourth of July celebrations, which include the famous Macy’s fireworks. As a member of the news, she had a top-notch view.
Of course, George hasn’t forgotten to get acquainted with the city’s everyday draws. She’s already been to a Broadway show, checked out a street fair in Little Italy, and enjoys just walking along the streets. She lives in a dormitory at New York University and received a stipend from Lafayette’s Career Services, endowed by the Class of 1957, to help pay for living expenses.
By the end of the internship, she hopes to become fluent in writing for broadcast as well as print. “Journalism is a competitive field, and nearly everyone looks the same on a resume,” she says. “I’m hoping that I can demonstrate my skills and show potential employers that I have had intense training.”
Back on campus, George hones her journalistic technique working as a co-editor for the news section of The Lafayette. She also plays Club Tennis, volunteers with the Landis Community Outreach Center, and participates in the Lafayette Christian Fellowship. Sigma Delta Pi, the National Collegiate Hispanic Honor Society, welcomed her leadership in helping to plan this spring’s induction ceremony.
She also advises her fellow students to take a few trips to Career Services. Meeting with her career counselor put her on the path to her internship at WINS, which is helping her to become a better interviewer, reporter, writer, editor—“You name it,” she says.