By: Ariana González
Liesel Nygard
Major(s): Journalism
Graduation Year: 2025
Internship(s): Greenfield Recorder and MassLive
What drew you to your internship before applying for it? Which interests aligned with the type of work you would be doing?
Greenfield Reporter: I’ve known about the Greenfield Recorder since I was a little girl. Once I realized that journalism was what I wanted to get into, I kept a close eye on the news reporting that they were doing. I thought about how I would want to begin my journalism journey with them. I got in touch with one of the editors, and she reached out to me in the fall and asked me if I wanted to join their team. I got excited, and I was with them for that semester. After that, I told them I’d be happy to stay during the spring, which was exciting. That’s how I got into covering local politics, attending council meetings, and any other possible government meetings. That’s how you get your stories in a smaller area. It’s very important to have a reporter in smaller areas since attendance for government meetings is very minimal. People don’t want to go to these meetings directly, so it’s important to report on them so they can have a better understanding of what’s happening in their town.
MassLive: I got to MassLive the following summer. I was very uncertain whether I would get it or not since I knew it was a very popular internship opportunity. I thought that this was my next step. I’ve worked hard to understand what’s going on at the local level, and I’m ready to report on events at a state level. I got a call back for the position, and I jumped up and down. I was very happy. The mass live position was a paid position. It was full time. These were 45-hour weeks in comparison to the greenfield recorder, which was 12.
How was the application process?
The recorder: The application was more about reaching out to editors and letting them know my general interests in the internship. The recorder is always looking for people! There’s not much you need to apply for it.
MassLive: I applied online. It was an online link or application that you had to fill out. It's like applying for a real-life job. You did your application, and then you would get an interview. They asked you typical questions like, What is your experience, Where do you see yourself after graduating, and What can you bring to the table? Questions you would expect at a job interview. Kinda like getting a full-time job. In general, the best thing I’ve learned is to reach out to people in the newsrooms and tell them your general interest in gaining experience there through an internship. Connect with them through social media as well. Even if you don’t get the internship, stay on their radar.
What previous experience prepared you for the interview?
Greenfield Recorder & MassLive: I had done some work with the Daily Collegian. I was with them fall of my freshman year. It was an excellent opportunity. I remember I was working under Sophie Gardner, I absolutely adored her and admired her. She had the strongest work ethic, and I was in awe of her work. I worked with her a lot. I wrote a little bit for the wire, and that was a good experience as well. I was also working under the town coordinator. I needed money to sustain myself, so I reached out, and he was like, "Yeah sure," and that’s how I got a background on small-town politics.
What did your first days look like in the internship in comparison to your last? What were some of the things you learned?
Greenfield Recorder: My first day was very nerve-wracking. I was surrounded by all of these talented reporters, and there I was, a sophomore from college. I thought, "I hope they don’t hate me" since I was the youngest there. I had to learn how to conduct phone interviews in front of the whole newsroom since you had to do them in front of everyone. I had to do that on day one. It wasn’t fun. I didn’t even know how to properly come up with questions and in what order to ask them in. I had to learn that this was a very close, almost family environment. I still call the Recorder my family. It was about learning how to embrace a nice, supportive newsroom. At the end of my internship, I thought that these were the best people in the world.
MassLive: My first day was very stressful because I thought, “Oh my God, I’m in the city.” I was taking an elevator through their office building. I had to do a lot of training and HR work, and tons of meetings with editors and workshops. It was stressful. At the end of my internship, I felt more confident about making connections with sources and networking with city councilors and different departments. I’ve learned a lot more about making genuine connections and networking. My assignment is to report on the Northampton region for MassLive. I learned it’s important to connect with people in that region and speak to them, such as posting on Facebook groups and such.
Was there anything about your internship that surprised you? Things you didn’t expect?
I think what surprised me the most about my Recorder and MassLive internships is how many stories you juggle at once. Having proper time management skills is very important especially when on deadline.
What are some of the things you learned from your internship? How did it inform your long-term career goals?
My internships have taught me how important it is to get along with your newsroom because journalism is a team effort and at the end of the day, we are all working hard to inform the public while also receiving push back from some people. Building relationships with fellow reporters can sometimes make you feel sane.
These newsrooms have also taught me the importance of building professional relationships with sources. Keep in contact with people you have interviewed and make sure that you’ve saved their contact details for future stories. There have been numerous times when the same sources have reached out to me about different events, incidents happening within their community.
What advice would you give to someone applying for these internships in the future?
Don’t assume you won’t get the internship, and try to branch out, make sure media outlets have you on their radar, and make connections with people in the newsroom and the editors. Just network! Meet the editors and reporters and create a genuine connection with them. It’s always good to expand. Don’t stay with one small group of people. Learn about different communities and newsrooms, it’ll get you very far!