My name is Joshua Cannon. I’m a senior journalism major, and I’m currently the editor-in-chief of The Daily Helmsman, the independent student newspaper at the University. I’m working as a collegiate correspondent for USA Today this semester, and the experience has been wonderful thus far. When I found out that they selected me for the internship, I honestly didn’t know how hands on it would be. Each week, as expected, I pitch, research, report and write stories. However, the internship has exceeded all of my expectations. In addition to my usual work, I get to discuss the ever-changing world of journalism with different editors, reporters and photographers via phone at the end of most weeks. I’ve learned a great deal from so many talented and experienced media professionals — in many ways, I feel that I’ve grown more in the past few weeks as a writer and reporter than I did much of last year. It’s a good feeling.
I’ve written three stories so far, and I’m currently working on my fourth. Writing for USA Today has opened my eyes to the privilege of working for a major publication: When I call a source who doesn’t answer, they tend to quickly reply. Any student journalist will tell you that isn’t always a luxury when working for your college newspaper.
Last week, I wrote a story about a Memphis family who takes homeless LGBTQ youth into their home. Two photojournalists who are friends of mine took photos of my sources, and the full package turned out really well. It was shared over 2,000 times online, which was surreal. Working as a USA Today collegiate correspondent has been rewarding beyond measure, and I’m anxious to see what the rest of the experience has in store for me.
I’ve written three stories so far, and I’m currently working on my fourth. Writing for USA Today has opened my eyes to the privilege of working for a major publication: When I call a source who doesn’t answer, they tend to quickly reply. Any student journalist will tell you that isn’t always a luxury when working for your college newspaper.
Last week, I wrote a story about a Memphis family who takes homeless LGBTQ youth into their home. Two photojournalists who are friends of mine took photos of my sources, and the full package turned out really well. It was shared over 2,000 times online, which was surreal. Working as a USA Today collegiate correspondent has been rewarding beyond measure, and I’m anxious to see what the rest of the experience has in store for me.