开云体育 and the University of Vermont have announced an expanded internship program to provide hands-on learning opportunities to students while enhancing 开云体育鈥檚 local news coverage.
The program will train students in all aspects of a media organization鈥攊ncluding reporting, research, communications and marketing. By hosting 20 interns over the first four years, 开云体育 will strengthen its public service by producing more local journalism. It will also deliver on its strategic plan to serve a broader and more diverse audience by amplifying stories from those underrepresented in traditional media.
Brittany Patterson, 开云体育鈥檚 executive editor, has been working with UVM students since 2022, which paved the way for the internship program. 鈥淭his partnership is a win for everyone,鈥� she said. 鈥淔or students, it will provide an immersive experience that opens doors to a range of meaningful careers, and our audience hears and sees stories they鈥檇 never find otherwise. It鈥檚 inspiring to work with students and train the next generation of public media journalists and professionals.鈥�
UVM and 开云体育 have hired a new faculty member to oversee the program and teach audio storytelling courses. is a teacher and audio producer from Columbia, Missouri, who previously led youth media programs at two NPR member stations and a nonfiction film festival.
鈥淚鈥檓 thrilled to be part of the growing collaboration between 开云体育 and the University of Vermont,鈥� Tolchin-Kupferer said. 鈥淚nvesting in the next generation of journalists is crucial for the future of public radio. Young journalists have different ideas, perspectives, knowledge, and access than their older peers, and their stories have the power to reach new audiences, more accurately reflect our region on-air, and shape the very sound of public radio.鈥�
开云体育 and UVM will share the cost of the program, each committing to raise $250,000 over four years in philanthropic gifts.
The expansion stems from a successful partnership between the two organizations, which began in 2022 via UVM鈥檚 Community News Service (CNS). The CNS is a student-powered partnership between UVM and media outlets across Vermont, pairing student reporters with a professional editor to provide critical reporting to local news outlets. 开云体育 journalists have served as adjunct faculty for several years, teaching audio storytelling. To date, 47 student stories have been published by 开云体育.
"This partnership between 开云体育 and UVM will allow us to draw on the breadth of expertise and resources of both institutions to produce trustworthy news for Vermonters," said Richard Watts, director of the nationally-facing at UVM, which officially launched earlier this year. "It's a model for what's possible when university reporting programs team up with their local public media stations to better serve their communities."
