Has the Unpaid Internship Run Its Course?
Rachele Kanigel
San Francisco State [email protected]
AEJMC Montreal Aug., 6, 2014
Internships at SFSU
Internships are strongly encouraged but not required
Most students do some kind of internship
Most internships are unpaid
Two kinds of internships
JOUR 409 Directed Study Any kind of internship acceptable; can be taken for credit at any point in college career
JOUR 617 Journalism Internship Capstone experience after several required classes (Newswriting, Reporting and Publication Lab; Newswriting, Photo I and II for photojournalism majors); internship experience vetted in advance
New JOUR 617 curriculum Websites, resumes and cover letters Branding and social media Discussion of unpaid internships Developing professional identity Sexual harassment and exploitation Networking Check in and support
Mediainternships.wordpress.com://
dol.gov/whd/regs/compliance/whdfs71.htm
Unpaid internship test The internship, even though it includes actual operation
of the facilities of the employer, is similar to training which would be given in an educational environment;
The internship experience is for the benefit of the intern;
The intern does not displace regular employees, but works under close supervision of existing staff;
-
Unpaid internship test The employer that provides the training derives no
immediate advantage from the activities of the intern; and on occasion its operations may actually be impeded;
The intern is not necessarily entitled to a job at the conclusion of the internship; and
The employer and the intern understand that the intern is not entitled to wages for the time spent in the internship
-- U.S. Department of Labor
Problems with internships
Menial tasks Inadequate editing and supervision Inadequate training Students replacing laid-off employees Little or no pay Sometimes work is not bylined or credited Occasionally sexual harassment,
exploitation
Other problems
Some students don’t have adequate skills to work in professional environment
Low-income students often can’t afford to work for free
High cost of summer credits
Solutions Encourage employers to pay Have student and employer sign contract before
internship begins detailing college credit costs and expectations
Make sure students understand labor laws Require students and employers to evaluate
each other at midterm
Solutions Help students work through problems in support
group setting or one-on-one Intervene when necessary if an internship is not
going well Keep track of positive and negative experiences
with employers Cultivate relationships with employers that
provide positive internship experiences
For more information
MediaInternships.wordpress.com (syllabus, readings and information about JOUR 617 Journalism Internships course at SFSU)
Contact: Rachele Kanigel kanigel(at)sfsu(dot)edu
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