Publications/Media Relations Fellow Office/Department:
External Relations
Name of Hiring Contact:
Lee Capristo
Title of Hiring Contact:
Director of Publications
Email: lwcapristo@smcm.edu
Phone: 240-895-4795
Student Responsibilities/Benefits:
With regular oversight by the director of publications and by the media and marketing specialist in the Office of External Relations, the student would research and write press releases on College news and events for local media. Research and reporting would involve contacting faculty and staff or guest speaker to learn details of planned event/show and doing Internet-based research in preparation for writing the press release. Would rewrite press releases based upon constructive feedback from supervisor, learning by this process the skill of writing to suit intended audiences for print or web. The student would write hometown news stories on accomplishments of faculty, alumni, and current students. The student would also attend campus lectures and events for the purpose of getting a quote from the speaker or writing stories for the Mulberry Tree. The student would also be given content development assignments by the director of publications for general audience pages of the College web site to gain experience in web writing. Updates to the calendar of events slideshow that runs on local Channel 98 would also be the responsibility of the student fellow. Interviewing alumni and feature writing for the Mulberry Tree magazine may also be assigned to a qualified student fellow.
Student Qualifications:
We require a cover letter and a writing sample (3-5 pages) with the submitted resume because strong writing and reporting skills are a must in this position. We need a student who will really care if the comma or semi-colon is correct. Prior newspaper writing a plus, as is a follower of the daily news. Skill set should include Internet research and willingness to learn Cascade CMS. Must be dependable, a quick learner, able to revise writing based on constructive feedback from the supervisor. Our ideal fellow is a mature student with a professional demeanor in contacting faculty, staff, alumni, and guest speakers.
For more information on how to apply and a list of the other fellowships available, click here.
