NYCJ Fall 2020 students Destinee Evans and Marlena Lang having a lunch meeting with Prof. Paul Glader and Prof. Clemente Lisi
Students who are part of the NYC Semester in Journalism (NYCJ) program have had plenty of success in their internships this Fall, covering the recent presidential election and the ongoing pandemic for a number of news organizations.
This semester’s students followed in the footsteps of past NYCJ classes by participating in the unique semester-long, off-campus study program operated by the McCandlish Phillips Journalism Institute at The King’s College in NYC.
“I am most proud of two articles that I wrote for my internship at Newsweek. The first was my very first article about mail-in ballot controversies around the nation,” said Marlena Lang, a Biola student who is part of the magazine’s newly-formed fact-checking team. “I was proud of this article because not only was it my first, but it is also the longest one I have completed after spending two days researching and writing it.
Lang said the other piece she is most proud was about the Pfizer vaccine “because I pitched them the idea and then completed the research and wrote the article.”
Destinee Evans and Marlena Lang in Battery Park
Destinee Evans, a student from Olivet Nazarene University, said her internship at the New York Daily News allowed her to cover COVID-19 and its impact on the Big Apple.
“During this internship, I have been able to interview families of people who may have just lost a loved one but getting to tell amazing stories about the people they love has been rewarding,” she added. “It can be a lot to take in sometimes but getting over the fear of talking to new people is something I will take with me throughout my career.”
Students taking part in the eleventh NYCJ cohort that chose to come to New York in person this semester took advantage of TKC’s hybrid model, a mix of both online and in person classes as well as their internship. The students are enrolled in classes including Entrepreneurial Journalism with Prof. Paul Glader and a course called The City taught by Anne Hendershott. The City course – required of all NYCJ students – also serves as an elective for King’s students.
Under the guidance of Prof. Clemente Lisi, a former editor at the New York Post and New York Daily News, the students work 20 hours per week in a New York City newsroom, earning six academic credits and pursuing bylines.
Being able to live and work in New York City remains a huge appeal to students.
“Living in New York has been an amazing experience that I was worried would not happen,” Evans said. “Getting to go different places in the city with new friends has been fun. I know it’s not the same as semesters in the past but it is still something that I will cherish.”
The New York City Semester program partners with 40 universities and colleges across the nation and globe. Apply to become a partner school by contacting Paul Glader at pglader@tkc.edu. Apply to join us as a student for a future semester by clicking here.