While the most important part of an internship is getting experience, another major component is making connections. You will be exposed to an entire newsroom of people in the same field as you so it would be smart to network and get to know everyone. Your colleagues can help you with things, present opportunities in the future, and be references for future jobs. Employers want to hire people who can work well with others and help cultivate a positive work environment. If you keep to yourself and don't talk to anyone, you'll end up missing out.
During my first week, most of the other staff members reached out to say hi and learn a little more about me. I made sure to be open-minded, really listen to their advice, and let them know what I like to learn/write about. During one of my conversations, I mentioned a topic I was interested in reporting on this summer, and because of this, a reporter came across a story that fit my interests and asked me to help out. I'm really glad I made an early effort to talk to everyone because if I didn't, my colleague might not have asked me to work with her.
Similar things happen all the time so even after initial introductions, be sure to keep in-touch with other people and read their work. Sometimes I know exactly who to ask for help or who might have a contact for me based on previous stories they have written or things we have talked about.
In the end, allowing the other members of the newsroom to get to know you as a person and not just as "the intern" will make you more memorable and give people many opportunities to speak on your abilities as a journalist.
Also, working from home can be isolating -especially when we're still dealing with a global pandemic- so I'm thankful for the moments I get to connect with the staff and have actual social interactions!
Thanks for reading and look forward to my next post about taking advantage of your resources!
-Krys'tal