Marlon Martinez
WDAF-TV Fox 4 Kansas City
This summer, I had the opportunity to intern at Fox 4 in Kansas City, which is the most watched of the four TV stations in the Kansas City metropolitan area. Also, Kansas City is No. 31 market in the Nielsen DMA rankings of over 200 markets, so the expectations for reporters are high.
On day one, I did not know what to expect as I was just about to walk into a place that I grew up watching for most of my childhood. Now I was going to be one of the team and get a sense of how things are done there. Going in as a reporter-focused intern, I wanted to learn everything I could possibly learn to take with me as I finish my last year of college with a great head on my shoulders. My very first assignment was shadowing a reporter covering multiple shootings that had occurred in the metro. By the second day, I was writing scripts and recording live stand-ups. The endless opportunities I achieved during this internship gave me the right direction to where I needed and want to be. I was able to meet people that you don’t really meet without being in an industry like this. I was able to cover national breaking news from Mendon, Missouri, to being on the sideline and meeting top celebrities at the Big Slick Celebrity game at Kauffman Stadium.
The reporters/producers at Fox4 KC helped me not only gain some experience but also showed me the insider view of how things are really done and expected at a higher level. Not only did I make new networking connections, but I now have group of supporting people to reach out to for help.
I recommend anyone who is looking for an internship to go for it. Don’t be afraid to apply and reach out. The worst answer you might get is no, but you won’t know unless you give it a try.