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Andrea Domanick ’10 participated in a National Public Radio internship this
summer working on the program All Things Considered. |
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| Posted 09.04.08 |
Argus Editor Writes, Produces Stories for National Public Radio
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She’s already produced a story about Muslim voters’ role in the upcoming
election and reported on gender identity at some of Baltimore’s most
colorful ballroom events. But this is only the beginning for Wesleyan
student Andrea Domanick ’10, who plans to pursue a career in broadcast
journalism post Wesleyan.
 As
a summer intern for National Public Radio, Domanick worked for All Things
Considered, NPR’s signature afternoon newscast that reaches 11.5 million
listeners weekly. She was one of 55 college students and recent graduates to
participate in an internship program, held June 2 to Aug. 9 at the NPR
headquarters in Washington, DC.
“I’ve been a fan of NPR since I was very young, so with my interest in
journalism, applying for an intern position with NPR seemed like a natural
choice,” says Domanick, who was selected from a pool of more than 1,000
applicants. “Having the opportunity to produce solid pieces of journalism on
relevant topics was incredibly rewarding.”
Student interns learn about broadcasting and the supporting areas of NPR
through hands-on, practical experience. Interns are mentored by NPR
reporters, editors, producers and engineers throughout the process. They
learn how to pitch story ideas, record sound, write scripts and edit their
final pieces for the program.
Aside from interning with All Things Considered, Domanick participated in
Intern Edition
a 40-minute web-based radio show produced entirely by
NPR’s interns. The show, which is part of NPR’s
Next Generation Radio Initiative, premiered July 31. For Intern Edition, Domanick and fellow intern Carina Giamerese co-developed a piece on
Baltimore's ballroom scene to combine their interests in subcultures and
alternative lifestyles.
"Putting the story together was absolutely a team effort; though it’s my
voice you hear on the piece, and my writing, Carina helped me edit my
script, record and conduct interviews and edit our sound, not to mention do
some of the driving on our three treks out to Baltimore,” she says. “That’s
how producer/reporter teams work.”
Project Manager Doug Mitchell says the intern program aims to provide direct training in public radio journalism and program
development:
“Shows come and go, news comes and goes. We want people who will consider
staying in the public radio system,” he says. “Learning all aspects of the
business, with lots of trial and error, is the best way to find people
committed to public radio.”
Los Angeles, Calif. resident Domanick had her first journalism gig at the
age of 13, when she wrote for a local paper called L.A. Youth. At Wesleyan,
she joined The Wesleyan Argus staff, working her way up from a staff writer, to
assistant arts editor, to arts editor to news editor. She’s also a staff
writer for the music website, TinyMixTapes.com.
"I enjoy being at the crux of campus life and interests," Domanick says.
"Because there isn’t any academic or monetary incentive to be on the Argus
staff, you have a very close-knit group of people who are interested in
putting out a great paper for the sake of putting out a great paper. So
because of this environment, and because it’s a small paper, I’ve really
been able to find my voice as a journalist."
After several years of working in print journalism, Domanick decided to give
broadcast journalism a try. Last summer, she interned with NPR member
station KPCC in Los Angeles, reporting and producing her own pieces. She
found herself getting hooked on the added creative element of using sound.
“Radio is not just writing, it’s crafting a whole scene—a feel and an
environment—for your listeners," she says. "And the thought and vision you
have to put into creating a good radio piece is so effective, so satisfying
to me," she says.
Domanick, a sociology major at Wesleyan, plans to go to graduate school for
broadcast journalism. Ultimately, she hopes to work at NPR as a foreign
correspondent or producer.
"Both positions demand very different things, but are equally exciting to
me. I love the crafting, and technical, almost artistic, skill required of
being a producer," she says. "On the other hand, what’s more exciting than
reporting from the heart of story—two or three continents away?"
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By Olivia Bartlett, The Wesleyan Connection
editor. Photos contributed by NPR. |
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