BALTIMORE—What to say, what to say.
Well, first let me introduce myself. My name is Connor Smolensky and I will be a senior when I return to Georgia in August. It’s actually kind of scary to think about how fast it’s gone, but I’ll save that conversation for another post, probably not on this blog.
So let me get back to you on that one.
I’m an intern for MASNsports.com this summer, which is a media outlet that covers both the Baltimore Orioles and Washington Nationals. The office is located in the warehouse in front of Camden Yards, which isn’t too shabby. But let me tell you, this internship has been completely different than anything I have done before.
For the past three years at UGA I have been strictly a writer. I’ve covered everything from men’s golf to football, and writing was pretty much all I knew. I have done some editing, but producing articles is where I’ve felt comfortable. This summer has changed that.
I’ve been on the job for a little over a month now, and the first week was quite the shock. On the first day the managing editor had me sit by his side and assist him with his editorial duties. That’s something I was used to and it didn’t go poorly. The second day—well, that’s a different story. I was introduced to Final Cut Pro once again, which is not something I was excited about. I had worked with the editing system a couple times with Professor Michaelis and Suggs, but it was never something I really gave much thought to.
In this day in journalism, it’s so important—as we’ve all been told a million times— to be more than just a writer. That’s what this internship has helped me become. I’m only a month in, but I’ve already become a journalist with much broader skills than just producing articles.
The way the internship has been going thus far is I’m either placed on a multimedia, social media or editorial shift. I have done more multimedia and social media than editorial, but I will get the full bag of tricks as I get deeper into my experience.
With multimedia, I am responsible for coming in an hour before the games start, and recording video of the pregame show via Final Cut Pro. From there I must edit the video, add B-roll, graphics and pictures before uploading it. I must then add titles to the videos before publishing them on the website for everyone to see. I struggled with these tasks for about a week, but am grateful for the mistakes.
Next is social media. For this shift I must be in the office three hours before the game, and it is up to my discretion how I want to go about my time. I am responsible for setting up a Facebook check everyday for fans to contribute their thoughts during the game, and then once the game begins I must run both Facebook and twitter from the MASN accounts. I’ve tried to make the most of it by incorporating pictures from batting practice, in-game photos, vines and the whole shebang.
It’s been a different summer for me like I’ve said before, but I still get opportunities to write every now and then. It’s something different everyday, and it’s been a nice change of pace. As I continue to become more familiar with my bosses, I will push for more responsibilities—and trust me I already have— because a wise professor once told me make the most of the internship.
I know I skipped out on editorial, but that’s pretty self-explanatory. Till another day Grady Sports.
Internships 