In conclusion
Sarah Calixto, a CalMatters intern, talks about her experiences working at the organization and what journalism students may learn from them.
Greetings from CalMatters, the only nonprofit news organization dedicated exclusively to reporting on topics that impact all Californians. To get the most recent information and analysis on the most significant topics in the Golden State, sign up for WhatMatters.
I had the amazing chance to work as an intern on the audience engagement team at CalMatters this summer. Here are some lessons I gained that may be useful to other journalism students or those just starting their professions as my time in college draws to a close and I get ready for my senior year.
1. Readers need to know how big news affects their lives
Newsrooms must figure out how their local audience will be impacted by major news. During my internship, I watched writer Kristen Hwang analyze how the federal government’s new budget made major changes to California that both insurers and experts warned would increase the cost of health insurance for customers. By focusing on how the budget plan would impact one important aspect of people’s lives, CalMatters was able to cut through the thousands of implications that needed to be examined and discussed. In order to reach even more Californians where they are, I then turned Kristen’s tale into an approachable, digestible Instagram post. I concentrated on emphasizing concrete aspects from the story, like as the fact that premiums are anticipated to rise by 66%, or $101 per month, beginning next year.
2. Influencers can be an advantage for newsrooms
I worked on the initial stages of a project to improve social media usage as a means of establishing stronger ties with a younger audience during my internship. I spent hours looking through and studying user profiles on Instagram and TikTok for the project. I concentrated on locating California-based individuals that either had posts that were news-centered, had a platform that was relevant to the subject of a news item, or had the ideal mix of both. I then discussed whether the influencer would fit in well with CalMatters and its values, as well as whether the influencers themselves would concur and gain from a collaboration.
I got a better idea of how beneficial social media and influencers can be to news organizations nowadays as I spent hours on social media sites. For instance, I came across profiles of young people who centered their platforms around talking about news in a way that was easier for younger audiences to understand and absorb. Additionally, I discovered experts that applied their expertise to expose false information on social media and present the truth. Those that had a following on the platform created a foundation for themselves and made sure to establish a distinct niche for themselves within their content bubble, regardless of the material itself.
3. There s room in journalism for a sense of humor
During my internship I had the opportunity to create a vertical video post for reporter Lynn La s story about how California could enact a first-in-the-nationban on plastic glitter in cosmetics.
I read her tale and realized that it may be a great fit for a number of TikTok trends because I frequently watch beauty and style videos on the platform. In light of this, I recorded and edited three concepts that would be suitable for the TikTok platform: a straightforward instructional skit, the Shock Horror trending sound, and a Get Ready With Me video. I felt proud of myself for being able to report the news with humor and a glitter face filter, even if my editors ultimately decided to publish the less dangerous explanation skit (they are older millennials, after all). I would definitely give this another go in newsrooms in the future, particularly if I wanted to connect and reach a younger audience.
All things considered, this summer has taught me a lot and helped me develop professionally as a journalist. With a fresh understanding of what journalism means now, I’m going on with the goal of becoming the greatest reporter I can be for readers and any newspaper I work for in the future.
CalMatters has further information.
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