Media Portraits: The Intern

Greta, the intern, researches the social media scene.

The posting looks something like this: 

Seeking Media Intern. National magazine on policy, politics, global affairs, literature and culture. Magazine read by 1.5 million (highly-educated) Americans; website enjoys 8.3 million visits per month seeks new media interns to work closely with our social media team. The opportunity offers a wealth of opportunity working with our energetic team internship will consist of updating our social media accounts and engaging our readers in conversations on several social networks (Facebook, Twitter, YouTube). The internship will also consist of  building new partnerships with other reputable blogs and updating our blog index.

Our writers, over time, have included: Oliver Wendell Holmes, Harriet Beecher Stowe, Booker T. Washington, W.E.B. DuBois, Robert Frost, John Steinbeck, Truman Capote, Harry S. Truman, Virginia Woolf, John F. Kennedy, John Updike…

What the intern says at the conclusion:

“The internship, itself, wasn’t particularly ‘educational,’ because I was so busy running around doing menial work, but it’s an incredible boost on your resume and trust me, they’re well aware of it. The editors can be bitchy; their assistants can be bitchier. develop a tough skin, because you’re definitely going to need it. the hours are long and pretty grueling every day, so if you aren’t serious about it, I wouldn’t even bother wasting yours or their time. But the parties are great.”