Addie Haney has done it all: interned at “NBC Nightly News,” spent a semester in Turkey, danced as part of Elon’s Finest and worked with Elon Local News. Find out what motivates the broadcast journalism major in this installment of “I Am Elon.”
By Kim Walker
Addie Haney ’14 credits her innate curiosity with guiding her to a major in broadcast journalism. “I love knowledge. I’m a sponge,” she says. The Communications Fellow spent the summer interning at “NBC Nightly News,” where she had the opportunity to meet Brian Williams P’13.
“I grew up watching the show every night with my family, and to be part of the team that brings this show to a huge national market was really cool,” she says. “These are the people who are shaping public thought.”
Delving into history and popular culture is shaping her fall semester and teaching her valuable lessons. As part of her senior capstone project, she is researching the portrayal of minority women in advertising. “I’m interested in gender studies, and as a person of color, it is beneficial to look at those types of trends,” she says.
Outside of class, Addie dedicates much of her time to the hip-hop dance group Elon’s Finest—a stress reliever that allows her to continue a childhood passion and gives her the opportunity to work with the Boys and Girls Clubs of Alamance County this semester. She is also very active with Elon Local News, the student-produced weekly news show. Since joining the ELN team her first year, she has performed many roles: anchor, writer, reporter and camera operator.
Looking for a study abroad experience that would expose her to a different culture and pull her out of her comfort zone, Addie spent her spring semester in Istanbul, Turkey, which she says was one of the best decisions she’s made at Elon. “I tried to take every opportunity to explore, meet new people and do new things. I didn’t say no, and as a result I had a great adventure,” she says.