I am a student in 捆绑SM社区鈥檚 School of Environment entering the fourth year of my undergraduate degree. Some of my research interests include critical theory, urbanism and technology, and the social and ecological effects of excessive consumption. Outside of the classroom, I serve as co-president of Expanding Economics, a student club that promotes alternative ways of understanding and learning economics. As a collective, the Expanding Economics executives thought a podcast would be an effective tool to disseminate information and promote public interest in this topic. Over this past year, I have served as the executive producer of The Expanding Economics Podcast. I decided it would be useful to collaborate with the 捆绑SM社区 campus radio station, CKUT, to learn more about radio production and access equipment. My love for oral storytelling steadily grew over the year, and I began thinking that I could viably pursue radio journalism as a career path. I felt that an internship at CKUT would be a meaningful work experience, as well as further my knowledge and radio-making skills to give me a foot in the door of the industry. I particularly believe that campus radio is a vibrant and important format of radio production because of its orientation toward community-building and social justice.
As a volunteer-run community radio station, CKUT鈥檚 mandate is to provide a media outlet for members of the Montreal community whose needs are not met by mainstream commercial radio. The station provides alternative music, news and spoken word programming to the greater Montreal area on FM radio, and worldwide through an online server 24/7 year-round. CKUT functions not only as an alternative to the status quo, but also as a viable community resource, especially for marginalized persons. CKUT serves as a training ground in audio production, music, culture, reporting and journalism, for the community and student populations (which include myself).
My CKUT internship included three separate components: producing my podcast with other members of Expanding Economics (the others worked on the podcast part-time), conducting an independent research project on the effects of digitization and podcasting on campus radio with CKUT as a case example, and editing or formatting others鈥� radio shows to be uploaded to the online server. A highlight of my internship at CKUT was the personal responsibility I felt toward my projects--this was my first professional experience leading a team on a creative pursuit that I started myself. It felt powerful to be trusted, looked up to, and have the agency to make executive decisions or do things in my style. In all my other jobs, I had to please my bosses and adapt to their visions. My supervisor was available for guidance and gave honest feedback, and I did feel obligated to make meaningful content for my listeners, but for the most part I had a lot of control over what I was doing. Simultaneously, however, making my own schedule and leading others independently, rather than working collectively, often felt isolating. Another fruitful component of my internship is that I feel much more confident in my interviewing abilities. In my early days at CKUT, I often worried messing up during interviews, and the nervousness came across in the recordings. Now, I feel and sound much more natural, engaging and organized, and I feel like I can have a meaningful or interesting conversation with anyone I meet; this is a skill that will certainly extend beyond the world of journalism.
I am receiving credit for the internship for COMS 497 Independent Study in Communications. My research topic is the impact of podcasting and digitization on campus/community radio, using CKUT as a case example. My supervising professor is Dr. William Straw.
As I mentioned above, my CKUT internship and exposure to the world of podcasting has increased my confidence in pursuing radio journalism as a career path. Journalism is not very lucrative and the job market is currently incredibly precarious, but it now at least feels like an option. Also, through podcast interviews, I have made strong personal connections with professors and professionals who have indicated they can connect me within the industry when the time is right.
Here are few tricks I found helpful for a remote internship:
- Keep a work journal. This can include meeting notes, to-do lists, ideas, talking points, interview questions, or whatever else you need to keep track of. Having a centralized book rather than loose papers or sticky notes was very important for me to stay organized.
- Have a morning routine. The days where I set personal intentions and ensured I kept to a schedule were much more fulfilling and momentous than the days that I did not.
The funds for the internship allowed me to treat my podcast as a full-time job and dedicate the hours required to produce a professional-sounding show. Additionally, giving myself the time to conduct the research project allowed. Despite the altered and challenging circumstances with the pandemic, this internship has been a meaningful and valuable experience for both my personal and my professional development. I appreciate the support of 捆绑SM社区鈥檚 Arts Internship Office, the Arts Undergraduate Society, and the 捆绑SM社区 alumni that made this possible.
