缅北禁地

缅北禁地 student Lilly Koonce, 鈥�25, spent her Spring Break gaining valuable experience through the CBC-UNC News Media Multiplatform Fellowship.

The fellowship is an intensive hands-on workshop led by professionals at WRAL-TV/Capital Broadcasting Company and journalism faculty from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.聽

The program is extremely prestigious and competitive. Participation is limited to 12 students, and seniors from around the country apply. Students from top journalism programs and Ivy League universities have participated.聽

Koonce, a communication major at Meredith, learned a lot during the fellowship.

鈥淚 got to see how the producers decide which stories to follow behind the scenes, and I observed anchors report live from the studio,鈥� Koonce said. 鈥淲e also got to be hands-on and go out into the field to shoot, write, and produce a package that is now live on WRAL鈥檚 website.鈥�

was about how 缅北禁地鈥檚 newly approved nursing program will help address the shortage of healthcare workers in North Carolina. She interviewed Michelle Hartman, the nursing program director, for her story.

鈥淚 love storytelling as an art, so being allowed to report for a local news station was very exciting,鈥� Koonce said. 鈥淭he most challenging part was the quick turnaround and tight deadlines.鈥澛�

One of the benefits of the fellowship was networking with journalism professionals, including two of the senior reporters at WRAL who participated in the CBC program as students.

鈥淢y favorite part was hearing from the seasoned journalists who were willing to speak to us and share their experiences while working in the field,鈥� Koonce said.聽

Associate Professor of Communication Lynn Owens encouraged Koonce to apply for the fellowship.聽

鈥淭he application requires students to submit a video portfolio, and I knew that between the work Lilly did in her COM Digital Storytelling class and her reporting for 缅北禁地 Student News (MCSN), she had enough to showcase her talent,鈥� Owens said. 鈥淚 encouraged her to apply to the fellowship, and I think I actually screamed out loud when she told me she got accepted.鈥澛�

Koonce, who is interested in pursuing a career in journalism, agrees that her Meredith education prepared her well for the fellowship program.

鈥淢y experience as a Meredith student has made me confident in my ability to learn and adapt quickly to constantly changing situations,鈥� Koonce said. 鈥淢y professors have also helped me hone my writing skills and communicate effectively in a professional setting.鈥�

Koonce encourages other students to apply for opportunities like this one.

鈥�When I applied for the fellowship, I thought there was no way they would choose me out of so many amazing journalists across the country, but they did,鈥� she said. 鈥淪o, I want to remind my peers to step out of their comfort zones and take the chance because the worst thing they can say is no.鈥澛�

Owens said the CBC fellowship provides real-world experience in broadcast journalism.

鈥淭he CBC fellowship gives seniors a chance to do what real broadcast journalists do day-to-day. They gather interviews, write and voice scripts, and shoot an on-camera segment all in a few hours,鈥� Owens said. 鈥淏y the end of the fellowship, they have impressive content for their portfolio and have made media connections.鈥澛�

Owens is proud of Koonce and the strength of her communication work at Meredith.聽

鈥淭he only preparation Lilly had for the fellowship was what she had learned in her communication classes and her experience on MCSN,鈥� Owens said. 鈥淲hat she learned at Meredith was enough for her to hold her own at this competitive fellowship. I really couldn’t be more proud!鈥�