As an intern at KMTV I have had an incredible opportunity to work in a real newsroom and develop my journalistic skills, while still studying at the university. The internship has given me invaluable experience and made me realise which path in journalism I would like to take in the future.
The most fun and exciting thing about the internship is that there is no such thing as a typical day. Most of the time I am out of the office, filming TV pieces and assisting with breaking news coverage. But there are also times when I spend all day helping to produce a programme.
I have been fortunate to try out a lot of exciting opportunities during my internship. I got to fly on a helicopter to do some filming from above and I also went to Belgium and France with a KMTV reporter to cover Brexit. In addition, I have frequently appeared on screen as a reporter to report news stories, and one of my pieces about IVF was a leading story on KMTV’s Kent Tonight programme.
Apart from that, I have also learnt how to run a TV gallery, assisted reporters during live broadcasts and managed the channel’s social media accounts.
KMTV internships usually last for more than a year, and the progress I have made during my time with the channel has been incredible. I had a good understanding of the basics when I started, but now I can turn around stories in just a few hours to hit a tight deadline and feel confident doing the same daily tasks as the channel’s full-time reporters.
KMTV is a truly fantastic place to learn, and there is no other opportunity like this. In my opinion, work experience is vital if you want to be a journalist, however most experience and internship opportunities are located in London, which I would not have been able to afford. Therefore, I feel very lucky to work in a real newsroom, which is located on my university’s campus and is so close to the local community.