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FEATURED ARTICLES           Thursday, September 09, 2010                                Email to a Friend

Internship Profile: Stephanie Ullman, CTV Newsroom

Daniela DiStefano

Attending murder trials, interviewing famous Canadian singers like Michael Buble, and covering breaking news were all in a day’s work for University of Western Ontario student, Stephanie Ullman.

After being granted a four month internship position at the CTV Newsroom in Toronto through the Internship Program offered by her faculty, this Media, Information, and Technoculture student launched herself into the world of television broadcasting as a newsroom assistant.

“It was such an incredible learning experience for me on so many levels,” says the Unionville, Ontario native who loves to travel and read entertainment magazines. “I challenged myself everyday to take on tasks I never thought I was capable of doing, and I proved that I could take on the world!”

Clipboard in hand ready for the next assignment, the 20-year-old shadowed some familiar faces from CTV News as they traveled around the Toronto area in the news truck to report for the 12 o’clock and 6 o’clock newscasts. “I feel so fortunate to have had the opportunity to work with such notable professionals in television. They were all extremely helpful and always willing to give me advice and tips for success in the industry.”

When asked to recall her favorite memory from the internship experience, Ullman has a hard time narrowing it down to just one. “I was involved with so many amazing news assignments and met a lot of great people this summer.” Ullman does, however, feel that one of the most beneficial parts of interning was putting together a newscast demo tape.

After a long process of writing, filming, and editing, Ullman walked away with a mock news report demonstrating the broadcasting talents and media skills she accumulated throughout the summer. “My tape was a health story about individuals suffering from allergies. I shadowed the Lifetime Reporter, Monica Matys, who originally covered the story and then put my own spin on it. It’s a weird feeling seeing yourself on camera for the first time, but I’m glad I didn’t hesitate because now I have on camera experience that will come in handy for the future.”

As the youngest and least experienced member of the news crew, this young woman learned by observation and took initiative to become a valued team member. Ullman’s dedication undeniably paid off as the third year student left the experience with unforgettable memories, and new-found media knowledge to compliment her academic studies.

Looking ahead, there may be big things for this UWO student dreaming of a gratifying career in the media industry. “I definitely see myself doing something with entertainment, either broadcasting or print; maybe even a job in public relations. Now that I have a taste of the media world, there is so much more I’d like to try and discover before I decide to focus on one aspect.”

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