For my internship during the summer of 2007, I worked with E- The Environmental Magazine. E magazine is a bimonthly publication that reports on a wide range of topics concerning the environment. Generating awareness of environmental issues and providing potential ways in which people can minimize their environmental impact are the primary objectives of E Magazine, as the staff recognizes the importance of the media in facilitating citizen consciousness and activism on environmental concerns that are impacting their livelihoods. The magazine has been in existence for 18 years, and throughout the years has won and been nominated for the Independent Press Awards 13 times. The E Magazine staff consists of six full-time and two part-time employees, in addition to the support of college interns. E Magazine is published by the nonprofit Earth Action Network, and states that it does not seek to promote a specific agenda other than covering the dynamic of an emerging environmental movement.
As an editorial intern, I was able to contribute toward writing various sections of the magazine. At first, these sections were limited to product reviews in the “Tools for Green Living” section and book reviews. After I worked on writing for these sections of the magazine, I was be able to work on larger writing projects for E Magazine, such as the “Currents” and “Commentary” sections. I also had the opportunity to write various side bar pieces for a feature story on green jobs for an upcoming issue. Working on larger writing projects allowed me to follow the formation of a story from start to finish by gathering information and interviews to revising the final piece. In addition, I also participated in research for the editorial staff, helped with fact-checking and proof-reading. I contributed story ideas and write commentary for “Our Planet,” E Magazine's weekly online newsletter. Additionally, I participated in teleconferences, including one sponsored by the NRDC on clean coal. I also had the opportunity to represent the magazine in the Ecoliving Expedition at the Clearwater Festival music festival, where I experienced public outreach and education first hand. During my internship with E Magazine, I was supervised by the managing editor, Brita Belli, and the editor-in-chief, Jim Motavalli.
Upon reflecting on my internship, I believe that my original objectives of learning how environmental issues are communicated and represented in American media were for the most part fulfilled. While writing and researching for the magazine, not only did I learn to write in a style that captures the readers' attention, but I also learned how to bring forth issues that were of immediate concern to the average reader. For example, while writing an article on high speed ferries as an alternative method of transportation to cars, I began the piece with a scene of bumper to bumper traffic on the highway, something that many Americans experience everyday and would like to change. Drawing people in through the concerns of their everyday day lives, and then showing how their concerns are also connected to concerns for the environment is what makes for effective writing in environmental journalism. Writing with this strategy in mind also helped me to understand how environmental issues are represented and framed within environmental advocacy media, which was another one of my original objectives I met through the internship. However, I feel as though I understand much more how environmental issues are represented in a specific niche of American media (environmental journalism) and not the mainstream media as a whole, which is something I would have liked to have learned more about. But I do think that I could apply what I have learned about good environmental journalism through E Magazine to any type of journalism position I may hold in the future.
My internship was valuable to me as a learning experience because I was able to be exposed to many different aspects of environmental studies, some of which I didn't know much about before the internship. Learning about a great array of current environmental issues through directly researching and interviewing people made work exciting and stimulating. Working for E Magazine helped me to further my belief in the importance of communication (print, online, radio etc) in educating people on ways in which we can improve our relationship with the environment. However, it also made me realize that I am more of a person who would like to be taking action for the environment rather than be the person writing about the innovative solutions and strategies people are creating in order to bring the Earth into balance.
My internship prepared me for my senior integrative project in several ways. The first way working for E Magazine helped me to focus and develop my senior project was to give me experience in framing environmental issues in a way that recognizes the various interests of my audience. Another way in which my internship prepared my for my senior integrative project was by giving me the opportunity to gain background information in socially and environmentally responsible investing while writing an article on jobs in the field of socially responsible investing.
My proposed senior integrative project is to create a marketing report on current and future environmental initiatives at Connecticut College, with emphasis on how the college can expand both its local and global environmental stewardship through socially responsible investment (the report will be targeted toward alumni and potential donors in the hopes that I will be able to create a socially responsible investment option for donations to the college). The report will serve as a form of communication that is designed to start a dialogue about the possibility of socially responsible investment for alumni and potential donors. The report will also aim to address the financial and moral concerns of a small liberal arts college, drawing on the strategies and experiences of similar institutions to provide relatable examples, and will be framed in a way that displays how it is possible for the financial stability and the social and environmental values of a small liberal arts college to benefit simultaneously. |