On January 23, 2023, Alcorn Mass Communications students, 21-year-old Graduating Senior Ladarrius Best (2nd from left; front row) from Jackson, Mississippi and Senior 22-year-old D’Marius Jones (1st from left; front row), who is also from Jackson, were selected to be a part of the second class of students for the Gray Media Training Center Internship.
Each student associated with this internship was hand-picked based on their academic excellence and passion in the field of Journalism. Throughout this internship they will learn the most sufficient practices for Broadcast and Digital Journalism. While at Gray Television, Inc., they will receive hands-on training in Marketing, IT, Coding, Production, Sales, Operations, and Engineering.
Both Besst and Jones have been heavily involved within Alcorn’s Mass Communications Department as both feel as though the curriculum provided has given them nothing but great skills and the right material to be successful with their new internship. Besst says, “The Mass Communications Department has given me prior knowledge and awareness of how the field is on a broad spectrum.” He believes that with this internship and experience he will gain much more knowledge and experience first-hand how things work in certain areas of the Mass Communications field.
Jones plans on gaining a lot from this experience as well. He wants to gain insight about the field and aims to become a more diverse and dynamic journalist who displays honesty and creativity in all of his work. Jones stated, “Participating in the internship is a big steppingstone for me and I am thankful to be exposed to it because I want to use it to enhance the community.”
Jones’ advice to anyone looking to apply for internships is to keep an open mind and to be driven with your effort because opportunities are out there, and it is your job to find them. Besst advises anyone applying for internships within the Mass Communications field to be themselves. “Being yourself and showcasing your eagerness to learn will get you in many doors and once you get a foot within the business the possibilities are endless,” says Besst.
