Journalism student's interests come together at Seattle Weekly internship
Lauren Lynch sits at her computer in the center of the Seattle Weekly newsroom. It’s Wednesday — the day the paper goes to press — so the downtown office is calm. Only murmurs of conversation and the muted rhythm of typing interrupt the quiet atmosphere.
Lauren is drafting her most recent article about the closing of a Fremont restaurant and the opening of a new restaurant lounge called Table 35. As an editorial intern, Lauren posts weekly openings and closings, as well as CD, concert, and drink reviews online, her tapping adding to the calm but dynamic energy in the room.
Lauren, a junior in the journalism program at the UW, has found her intended niche in the world of journalism through both class work and her internship at the Seattle Weekly. A transfer student, Lauren worked with University of Washington faculty to expand her journalistic skill set, and explore her interest in food, arts and entertainment writing. “They’ve shaped my career goals by giving me the resources and tools I’ve needed to attain an internship and eventually obtain a job,” Lauren says.
Able to mold her schedule around her internship work this quarter, Lauren is taking her journalism ethics class and fulfilling her language requirement, but she spends the bulk of her time downtown in the Seattle Weekly office.
Lauren’s internship at the Seattle Weekly has helped her discover a potential career path. “It’s helped me decide that this is really a similar publication that I want to do when I’m done with my degree,” she says. Last year, Lauren tried other options within the Communication Department, including an independent study involving research journalism. During the experience she realized she was not interested in pursuing a career in that branch of communication. Though Lauren’s internship is the focus of her work this quarter, she recognizes the ties between her internship and the work she is doing in class, specifically her ethics class. Lauren described an article she had written for the Weekly where she was asked to cover a memorial service on campus. The memorial was for a suicide victim, and Lauren was unsure of how to go about writing on such a sensitive subject.
“I did not want to glamorize the issue and I also did not want to offend anyone. So, with those two ethical issues in mind, I went into writing the article a little wary.” Lauren was able to write an article that covered the event while still maintaining her personal ethical code. “I think keeping an open mind (was) essential,” she says.
Looking ahead, Lauren is diving into the bulk of the required journalism courses, including Advanced Reporting and Newswriting and Interviewing. In addition, she will take a political science course to fulfill a journalism requirement, and she will continue her internship with the Seattle Weekly.
Lauren advises students applying for internships to pick publications they are already interested in. “Not only choose what you’re interested in writing for the company, but also the type of writing. Try to have it match what you normally do, and overall you’re more comfortable and confident in the end.”
You can find Lauren’s publications on the Seattle Weekly web site by searching for “Lauren Lynch.”
Erin Johnson is a junior in the Department of Communication. She is double majoring in journalism and dance.
