Intern Views: Bridget Mills

This is part of a series where we ask Grady College students to describe their internship experience.

Bridget Mills is a double major in entertainment & media studies and political science with a news literacy certificate. This summer, Mills works for CNN as an editorial operations intern in Atlanta, GA. Read more about her internship experience below. 

Provide a brief overview of your role and its associated responsibilities.

I am an editorial operations intern at CNN this summer! I was placed with a showteam at the start of my role that I get to work with for the rest of the summer. I am interning with The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer and Pamela Brown. My responsibilities during this internship include assisting with producing packages and segments for the show, editing video, assisting the daily rundown and researching and pitching stories.

What opportunities did you have during your internship? 

Since I started my position on June 9, I have mostly been working with the associate producers on editing B-roll, sound bytes and voice overs for segments during the show. However, I am really looking forward to pitching stories and shadowing writers during my internship. One of the coolest opportunities I have had so far is getting to be present in the control room during the show. All of the production for the show takes place here in Atlanta and so the control room is full of energy and split-time decision making. It’s really cool to watch. I have certainly had some “pinch-me” moments though. Everyday after we finish the show I get to be a part of a Zoom meeting with the Atlanta team and the DC team. Getting to contribute to meetings with Wolf Blitzer and Pamela Brown feels unreal!

What is one piece of work you are proud of creating in this role? 

So far, I am most proud of one of the sound bytes that I had to edit while the show was live. It is a high pressure situation because you know you have to work fast, but you don’t want to make any mistakes. I was able to work quickly, while remaining careful, and the sound byte made it on the show minutes after I was done. It was a quick turnaround.

How has the Grady curriculum prepared you for this internship?

I think my Production Basics (EMST 3210) class has really helped me during this first week since I have been tasked with a lot of video editing in Adobe Premiere Pro, and I was able to get some practical experience in that class. Outside of that, I think Dr. Lough’s Journalism Ethics course has really helped me exercise editorial judgment during this internship. When you are working fast, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed and the need to cut corners, but his class was really helpful in teaching me how to take the necessary steps and precautions when working on a deadline. Especially with live television, it’s important to not make mistakes in an attempt to work quickly. 

Did you receive any mentorship or guidance? How did it impact your experience? 

The associate producers at the Situation Room have been really helpful in teaching me skills on the job. We had a lot of training, but every show does things differently so it is important to absorb information about your team so that you can act  in accordance with what is expected for that particular team. Also, I want to shout out to my fellow editorial operations interns in Atlanta. There are about 7 of us total and we are all with different show teams, but it’s nice to have each other for encouragement!

What challenges have you overcome in this role? 

I think one challenge I have slowly overcome in this role is making an impression. I am well aware that everyone on The Situation Room team can get the job done with or without me, as they have been doing it for years, so it’s important to find my niche on the team where I can really make their jobs easier. So far, I have tried to absorb as much information as possible, but I am quickly learning how to make myself a useful asset to the production team. 

What is the most valuable piece of advice you gained from your experience? 

One of the senior producers on the team told me to try and learn a new skill everyday. Since every member on the team serves a different function, it is smart to shadow each position throughout my experience. I have also learned from my team that it’s okay to be uncomfortable. When you’re learning new skills, it serves you better to get out of your comfort zone and ask questions along the way instead of sticking to the one thing you know you are good at. 

How has this internship influenced your future career? 

As someone who is interested in the intersection between politics and media, this role has really helped me figure out what my voice is when it comes to storytelling. I have always known that I was interested in a future in television, but working in the news industry. I have realized what kinds of stories I am interested in telling and I hope to funnel this knowledge towards a future career in political commentary. Whether this is through narrative storytelling or broadcast news, I am lucky to be able to learn from some of the best journalists and producers at CNN. 

Editor: Lily Alarcon, lia52467@uga.edu