by Daniel Rodriguez
As a journalism major, I knew London was the perfect place to study abroad. London is an international hub for news and media, and when I discovered that the CAPA program offered internships based on a student’s specific major, I immediately signed up.
I spent this past semester living in London and interning at The Independent, a national British newspaper. The Independent was launched in 1986 and is one of the youngest daily newspapers in the United Kingdom. When I first received my placement, I was not very familiar with the Indy, but after doing some research I realized it is one of the most respected newspapers in the UK.
Once I arrived in London, my supervisor explained to me that I would be working with The Independent’s digital team. My main duties were to pitch ideas and create infographics for stories containing data. In addition to helping the digital editors, I would also be working with the paper’s foreign desk. Each day I researched four or five stories from around the globe and wrote brief summaries on each.
The editors reviewed my writing and my briefs were published online and in print in the “I” Paper,“ a condensed version of The Independent. Towards the end of the semester, the foreign editor had me working with the AP, Reuters and AFP newswires, and I wrote short pieces for the Indy’s news matrix.
My internship was not only confined to online media. On several occasions I was able to conduct interviews for the travel desk. I contacted banks, credit card companies, and the UK Cards Agency for stories pertaining to fraud and credit card scams in Europe.
Although my journalism emphasis is in broadcast reporting, my internship at The Independent expanded my skillsets. My two previous internships have been television based, so having experience working at a large newspaper in a foreign country has made me well-rounded. I was very fortunate to have been able to complete digital work because both print and broadcast journalists need online media skills.
I absolutely loved everything about my study abroad experience. I never thought I’d love a city more than New York, but London has the Big Apple beat. Riding the tube everyday, seeing the red buses and the black taxis drive on the opposite side of the road, London is a vibrant metropolis with so much to offer. It has the hustle and bustle of any large city, but quaint neighborhoods such as Wimbledon and Maida Vale are nice places to escape.
Studying and working abroad in London was one of the best decisions I ever made. Not only did I have a wonderful time living and studying in the UK, but interning at a British news organization and traveling to eight different countries has sparked an interest in foreign reporting.
If I learned anything over last few months, it’s that the world goes beyond the U.S. media viewpoint. My experience in the UK has kindled a desire to live abroad and to cover international news at some point in my career. I hope I’m able to return to London for a few years, because London is an amazing place to study, work, and grow as a person.
Daniel Rodriguez can be contacted at [email protected].
