Internships aejmc2014

Has the Unpaid Internship Run Its Course? 

 Rachele Kanigel

San Francisco State Universitykanigel@sfsu.edu

AEJMC Montreal Aug., 6, 2014

Internships at SFSU

Internships are strongly encouraged but not required

Most students do some kind of internship

Most internships are unpaid

Two kinds of internships

JOUR 409 Directed Study Any kind of internship acceptable; can be taken for credit at any point in college career

JOUR 617 Journalism Internship Capstone experience after several required classes (Newswriting, Reporting and Publication Lab; Newswriting, Photo I and II for photojournalism majors); internship experience vetted in advance

New JOUR 617 curriculum Websites, resumes and cover letters Branding and social media Discussion of unpaid internships Developing professional identity Sexual harassment and exploitation Networking Check in and support

Mediainternships.wordpress.com://

dol.gov/whd/regs/compliance/whdfs71.htm

Unpaid internship test The internship, even though it includes actual operation

of the facilities of the employer, is similar to training which would be given in an educational environment;

The internship experience is for the benefit of the intern;

The intern does not displace regular employees, but works under close supervision of existing staff;

-

Unpaid internship test The employer that provides the training derives no

immediate advantage from the activities of the intern; and on occasion its operations may actually be impeded;

The intern is not necessarily entitled to a job at the conclusion of the internship; and

The employer and the intern understand that the intern is not entitled to wages for the time spent in the internship

-- U.S. Department of Labor

Problems with internships

Menial tasks Inadequate editing and supervision Inadequate training Students replacing laid-off employees Little or no pay Sometimes work is not bylined or credited Occasionally sexual harassment,

exploitation

Other problems

Some students don’t have adequate skills to work in professional environment

Low-income students often can’t afford to work for free

High cost of summer credits

Solutions Encourage employers to pay Have student and employer sign contract before

internship begins detailing college credit costs and expectations

Make sure students understand labor laws Require students and employers to evaluate

each other at midterm

Solutions Help students work through problems in support

group setting or one-on-one Intervene when necessary if an internship is not

going well Keep track of positive and negative experiences

with employers Cultivate relationships with employers that

provide positive internship experiences

For more information

MediaInternships.wordpress.com (syllabus, readings and information about JOUR 617 Journalism Internships course at SFSU)

Contact: Rachele Kanigel kanigel(at)sfsu(dot)edu