Several members of WTVD-TV, an ABC television affiliate serving the Raleigh-Durham region, will visit the School of Communications on Feb. 12, offering professional insights and advice during the annual Communications Internship Showcase & ePortfolio Review.
During the month of February, the School of Communications Internship Office hosts its annual Communications Internship Showcase & ePortfolio Review, inviting employers to campus to share career advice and information about internships and post-grad employment opportunities. Among the companies scheduled to attend this year’s event – slated for Tuesday, Feb. 12 – is a contingent from WTVD-TV, an ABC television affiliate serving Raleigh, Durham and Fayetteville.
The internship showcase is essentially two parts: an ePortfolio review session from 12:15 to 2:15 p.m. and an open walk-in session from 2:30 to 5 p.m. Both events will be held in Snow Family Grand Atrium. Juniors and seniors must pre-register for ePortfolio reviews on the Elon Job Network. The deadline is Friday, Feb. 8.
Among the ABC11 staff members scheduled to attend the afternoon programming are Elizabeth Plyler, news operations manager, Courtney Danser, digital executive producer, DeJuan Hoggard, weekend anchor, and Jeff Janca, photojournalist.
“It’s amazing that ABC11 has made such a commitment of staff during their crucial February ratings period,” said Stephanie Bourland, associate director of corporate and employer relations for the School of Communications. “This is a wonderful opportunity for our students to learn about today’s news industry, and we can’t thank ABC11 enough for the station’s willingness to educate and advise our students.”
Prior to the internship showcase, Plyler and Danser will kick off the day with a visit to Lecturer Kelly Furnas’ Multimedia Journalism class offering advice on navigating the television news industry. (The duo will also attend the morning’s College Coffee event.)
Having worked at ABC11 for more than two decades, Plyler will highlight her position working with engineering and newsroom managers to ensure the station operates smoothly. In her role, she is the direct supervisor of and scheduling manager for more than 30 photographers, editors and technical employees.
As the station’s digital executive producer, Danser is responsible for the overall management and functionality of ABC11.com, the ABC11 mobile app and social media platforms. She leads a team of eight that includes web producers, a social media manager and a digital video producer.
“This is an ever-changing business,” Plyler said. “Technology in and around the television industry is constantly changing and at a rapid rate. It’s important for students to be prepared and to be nimble as they venture into the television industry.”
Even before her campus visit, the news operations manager charged students to learn more about metrics and how they influence day-to-day newsgathering practices.
“An internship with ABC11 Eyewitness News / WTVD–TV would give students a picture of what it is like to work in a modern, digital newsroom,” Plyler added.
This isn’t the first time Elon students have heard insights from ABC11 staff members. In October, a group of Elon students traveled with Communications Dean Rochelle Ford to Chapel Hill to attend a “Women in Media” forum, hosted by the station’s Minority Advisory Committee.
Additionally, ABC11 weeknight anchor Steve Daniels serves on the School of Communications’ National Advisory Board. He paid a visit to campus in October to speak with journalism majors and members of Elon News Network.