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I see the journalism industry has crashed around you. Please hire me?

elisabethjw — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 01:30:26 -0800

I'm a sophomore in college looking for a journalism or public relations internship in NYC this summer. (I know, right?) So where am I going wrong? I do realize the journalism industry has gone down the toilet lately.

I have living arrangements in New York this summer, and am searching for a job to complement my apartment. I will happily accept an unpaid internship in either public relations/marketing or magazine/web journalism. I have experience in both areas -- probably less experience in marketing (I interned at an ad agency last summer, but I study journalism at a very well-known j-school and am an editor at one of the big campus publications).

So I will basically offer myself up for free (or for pay, I mean, but I can't be picky) to any publication or agency that will hire me. Unfortunately, it seems every other fledgling journalism student will do the same. I don't want to operate under the presumption that I will land an internship at any of the "big" NY magazine/web corps, so I'm looking for something a little...different.

Craigslist has so far been a crapshoot (not just for me, but for others applying past years). The jobs posted to our school's job board tend to be highly competitive. Where else is there to look? I have no "ins" in the NY media world, as I'm from nowheresville in the Midwest. Are there any small (web)magazines (along the lines of Time Out NY) who may be looking for free labor that you could direct me towards? Could cold emails to smaller publications help me, or would they just be relegated to the "never-answered" bin?

In case I haven't been succinct:
* Are there any alternative venues/methods to finding either journalism or marketing/pr summer internships in NY?
* What small (web)magazines might hire summer interns? And are cold emails welcome?
* Or is it just simply too early to look? I know several people who have already landed summer internships, and the school HIGHLY encourages us to find one ASAP -- but if I keep ruthlessly applying to Craigslist postings, etc., is there a decent chance I will find an "employment match"?

Gifts for new NYC-er and future journalist

greta simone — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 11:22:24 -0800

Care package ideas for a new journalism grad student and New Yorker- A good friend of mine is starting the Journalism graduate program at NYU this fall and has just moved to Astoria, Queens. I was hoping to send him some fun items to ease his transition, but mostly just for fun. He's not a candy or gadgets kind of guy, and I don't have a lot of money to spend, so I was thinking more along the lines of things he can use and/or read to enhance this new leg of his life.

The only thing I know I am going to get is one of those city-specific Moleskins for New York. He's been reading up on the history of the city (mostly via internet research) and reading some book of interviews of prominent journalists (not sure what it's called). I would like to try to find a book or two in the same vein of these topics to send- any recommendations? He's really interested in learning about his new neighborhood as well.

Lastly, any other suggestions of the non-book variety are welcome. Thanks!

My bleeding heart is shriveling up

zoomorphic — Tue, 28 Aug 2007 09:04:42 -0800

So I moved to Brooklyn, landed a great magazine internship in the city, and seem to be on the right track professionally. One problem: I'm restless and want to leave NYC. Will I sabotage my future as a magazine journalist by leaving Manhattan, the mecca of magazines? It's not that I dislike New York--there are times when I really, truly believe in this city, especially Brooklyn. But more often I'm wary that I'm wasting my youth in the bowels of the universe where I hate my commute, I hate tourists, I hate slow walkers, and I stare through any poor soul asking for change on the street. I'm bitter, neurotic, self-absorbed, and obsessed with work. Everyone in my office--and in a 5 mile vicinity--is the same way. Paradoxically, I also hate people who blithely write off these traits as merit badges for becoming a New Yorker. I moved here thinking I was happening upon a great literary community of engaged, well-read people, but little has turned up.

In short, my job makes me happy, the city doesn't. Thwarting my relocation ambitions is the sinking realization that I lack the self-discipline to freelance, making an in-house journalism job nigh imperative. So what happens if I move? I really love Chicago, but I can't think of any notable magazines or lit hubs there, except the Poetry Foundation and (yikes) Time Out Chicago. What else is out there?

Or should I wipe the city grime from my eyes and keep seeking out the elusive literati lurking in some Brooklyn nook?

I want to be a temp slave.

brina — Sat, 21 Oct 2006 08:25:41 -0800

JobFilter: What temp agencies are best for copy editing work in New York? I'm a freelance journalist with eight years of experience in reporting and editing. I'd like to find some temporary jobs that will keep me in the black while I pursue my dream of writing a book, but I'm having a hard time finding decent, reliable temp agencies that specialize in copy editing, proofreading, copy writing, etc. I'm also interested in book packagers. I know these places exist.

Have any of you done temp work in New York for agencies that specialize in publishing work? And if so, how should I approach them? (Are they like regular temp agencies in that you need to send your resume, then badger them by telephone?) Are there ways in which I should play up my resume/cover letter to show flexibility in the types of work I can do?