northern exposure

Thank you for the life-changing experience that this internship gave me.
     Over the course of ten weeks, I gained confidence in myself, in my writing, and in my field.
      I never knew I could learn so much in such a short period of time. With every two-week rotation, I had to adjust to different deadlines, styles and audiences. That proved that no matter what, I can adjust to the changing needs of any publication. Covering politics, an ever-dividing issue, showed me that there is nothing I can’t cover. This gives me the versatility needed to be successful in the many parameters found in the  field of journalism.
     Working with The Philadelphia Inquirer, I completed both long projects and daily stories. Positive audience feedback ensured me that I can produce successful content for a large audience while negative comments only further toughened my skin for journalism but reminded me to continue to ask the hard questions.
     At PennLive/The Patroit-News, I cranked out stories every day — writing three stories on the first day. Self-confidence soared during this rotation because I had to trust myself to publish stories without an exhaustive editing process.
     With The Morning Call — which was much like The Inquirer — my work shifted between long and short pieces, but there was hands-on editing so I wouldn’t make mediocre mistakes and I could constantly learn ways to improve.
     At Capitol Wire, it was laid back since budget season ended early, yet it was the political centre; therefore, the stories had to showcase that.
     Finally, I worked with The Caucus as an investigative reporter who penetrated the surface of an issue, asked the difficult questions, and produced a long-form media production about the abortion issue in light of Trump’s Supreme Court nomination and its impact on state elections.
    Thank you, all. Thank you for choosing me for this internship and believing that this small southern girl could cover the political arena of Pennsylvania.
 
Lasherica Thornton
University of Mississippi, 2018

Pennsylvania Legislative Correspondents’ Assoc. 2018 Summer Intern
The Daily Mississippian News Reporter
The University of Mississippi, Senior
Journalism Major, Legal Studies Minor
Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College
662-471-3103 | lthornto@go.olemiss.edu 
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