Last month, four Mason Korea students participated in the Field Experience Program at the Korea Joongang Daily, the English edition of Korea's leading daily newspaper, the JoongAng Ilbo, and also a publishing partner of the New York Times. This program was an exclusive joint collaboration between our Career Development Center and Office of Admissions and Enrollment to provide Mason Korea students a chance to acquire hands-on experience in journalism, media, and marketing.
Our students had a chance to meet respected reporters and editors at the Korea Joongang Daily who provided practical training including lectures, editorial meetings, and coaching sessions. The program culminated in our students’ articles being published in the daily newspaper earlier this month.
Below are the full testimonials of the program participants.
Nayeon Kim
Sophomore, Conflict Analysis and Resolution
“My field experience with the Korea Joongang Daily was a priceless opportunity for me. Even though it was a short period, I learned tremendously, such as the difference between straight news and feature stories. I saw firsthand how many times articles need to be reviewed before they are finally published. It was a big lesson on meticulousness. It was also challenging to write about a single topic without excessive details that would take away from the main topic. Writing concise sentences for readers also proved more difficult than I had thought.
This was such a rare experience and students who have a passion for journalism have so much to gain from this program. I, too, had a strong interest in writing, and this program helped not only broaden my knowledge in journalism but also strengthen my writing skills.”
So Ram Hong
Freshman, Global Affairs
“Participating in the Korea Joongang Daily Summer Internship program was a very meaningful experience as it gave us the opportunity to meet and learn from current reporters about journalism and the process of publishing a news article.
After writing the first draft, the reporters edited the overall structure and helped us revise the article to make the sentences more cohesive. They explained that each paragraph needs to be less than five sentences and that the transitions have to be natural. Working with journalists was a new experience and I saw a glimpse into their daily lives. I learned that reporters should always be ready to explore and ask questions about the world.
This was an invaluable experience that aligns with my career interests and I would recommend this program to fellow students who are also interested in a career in journalism."
Suhyoung Ji
Sophomore, Global Affairs
“The field experience program was challenging from day one, but I learned so much. I learned that news articles include subjectivity—that is, taking a certain position despite striving to include every aspect related to the issue. I learned that you have to ask very specific questions when interviewing people. I also learned that clarity and conciseness are critical to writing news articles and that having the perspective of readers makes this easier.
It was challenging to find a topic to write about and develop a coherent story. It was also challenging to meet tight deadlines, especially when interviewing people in different time zones—I had to wake up at 4 am to interview students in the US. Writing a news article was completely new for me and definitely a struggle, but I was thoroughly impressed with the final outcome after multiple revisions from professional editors.
I would definitely recommend this program to my fellow students. It is challenging, but I acquired new skills. In my case, I have always been interested in UNESCO’s programs related to media diversity and the safety of journalists. I am also interested in media as an academic subject. Being able to attain hands-on experience through this program was not only exciting, but helped clarify my career goals."
Francesca Griego
Junior, Business
"The Korean JoongAng Daily field experience program was a great learning experience to say the least. Not only did I learn about the formality of journalism, but I learned how much work goes into publishing a single article. The process of writing a newspaper article was arduous. A huge piece of advice I received at the beginning of this program was to “not be afraid to start over.” During our writing process, my team went through multiple meetings contemplating whether or not we should scratch our entire idea. However, after discussing in detail and getting our goals set in place, my team successfully established a strong article that was ready for publishing. In fact, it is because of the challenges we faced that we were able to create a better article than we started off with.
The Korea JoongAng daily staff walked with us step-by-step and explained what a high-end article should look like. They were extremely kind, but also honest and straightforward. As a result, I was confident that our final article would come out with great quality. I developed a strong sense of respect for journalists after this experience. Their daily routine works strictly on a schedule with tight deadlines. I highly recommend this program to other students, regardless of their major and experience with journalism. The JoongAng Daily staff will walk you through step-by-step on how to write a strong article. As someone who has never written a formal newspaper article, I was able to enhance my journalism skills through this program. Additionally, I grew a deep interest for journalism and a stronger ability to work with others who may have a different view as you."
August 27, 2021
