In the coming two months, Northwestern University in Qatar’s (NU-Q) journalism and strategic communication students will be completing internships at top global media organizations, including AJ+ in San Francisco, Forbes in New York, and Al Jazeera English and Ogilvy & Mather in London.
The 10-week residency program is a graduation requirement for all NU-Q students majoring in Journalism and Strategic Communication. It is also an important learning component where students engage in the rigorous nature of a media career and network with professionals in the industry. The internships also teach students to adapt to the bustling environment of a newsroom or corporate office, work to deliver quality pieces and ideas under deadline, and develop writing, fact-checking, research, and client management skills.
“Our residency students are able to apply the theory and skills they have learned in class on the ground at the most respected and highly competitive media operations in the world,” said Everette E. Dennis, dean and CEO. “Through this hands-on experience, they learn life lessons that will help them in their careers by working with professionals in a demanding, fast-paced business environment.”
Media residencies have been a part of Northwestern’s Medill School of Journalism, Media, Integrated Marketing Communications, for more than 40 years, a practice that NU-Q has continued with its program in Doha. NU-Q students enrolled in the Journalism and Strategic Communication Program receive their degrees from Medill, which has consistently been ranked as one of the top media and journalism schools the United States.
“NU-Q students have completed internships that have either defined their post-graduate career decisions or opened their eyes to new opportunities and specialties within the industry,” said Mary Dedinsky, director of the journalism and strategic communication program. “It’s a time for students to really prove themselves by creating work that is recognized and/or published by on international media channels, and a time for them to network with leaders and like-minded people in the industry.”
This spring, NU-Q students are interning for prestigious news outlets in New York and Washington D.C., San Francisco, London, and Doha. The organizations include AJ+, Forbes, Medill News Service, Ogilvy & Mather, Embassy of the State of Qatar in London, Al Jazeera English, Teneo Blue Rubicon, Forbes Associates, and more.
Joining AJ+ in California, Sara Al Ansari will be working alongside reporters, editors, and filmmakers to learn the know-how of creating one minute videos on trending and breaking news. “AJ+ is one of the most successful modern digital news organizations, and also one of the most followed news sites today,” said NU-Q junior Sara Al Ansari. “Through my time at their offices I hope to gain a better understanding of how reporters identify stories, how they gather their sources and verify information – all extremely important skills for any reporter.”
In London, Nawal Aqeel will experience working for a global PR firm, servicing a variety of clients in the U.K. and beyond. “The training and experience I will gain at Ogilvy & Mather will enhance my understanding of what PR entails, and will give a chance to work on developing PR content and strategies for a variety of different clients. I really want to pursue PR after graduation and I am confident that this is a step in the right direction for me,” said NU-Q junior Nawal Aqeel.
The media students’ residencies this year build on NU-Q’s impressive portfolio of international media internships. In previous years, students completed residencies with Washington Post, TIME magazine, USA Today, Pulitzer Center for Crisis Reporting, Sports Illustrated, National Geographic, The Huffington Post, VICE media, Grayling, Weber Shandwick, and much more.
