Communications Internship

Council on Foreign Relations

Location: United States (Washington, DC)

Contact Information: Human Resources

Phone: 202-509-8400

Email: humanresources@cfr.org

Council on Foreign Relations Human Resources Office

1777 F Street, NW, Washington, DC 20006

FAX (202) 509-8490

humanresources@cfr.org

INTERNSHIP OPPORTUNITY

Department: Office of Communications

Length of internship: Spring 2011

The Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) is an independent, nonpartisan membership organization, think tank, and publisher dedicated to being a resource for its members, government officials, business executives, journalists, educators and students, civic and religious leaders, and other interested citizens in order to help them better understand the world and the foreign policy choices facing the United States and other countries. Founded in 1921, CFR carries out its mission by maintaining a diverse membership, with special programs to promote interest and develop expertise in the next generation of foreign policy leaders; convening meetings at its headquarters in New York and in Washington, DC, and other cities where senior government officials, members of Congress, global leaders, and prominent thinkers come together with CFR members to discuss and debate major international issues; supporting a Studies Program that fosters independent research, enabling CFR scholars to produce articles, reports, and books and hold roundtables that analyze foreign policy issues and make concrete policy recommendations; publishing Foreign Affairs, the preeminent journal on international affairs and U.S. foreign policy; sponsoring Independent Task Forces that produce reports with both findings and policy prescriptions on the most important foreign policy topics; and providing up-to-date information and analysis about world events and American foreign policy on its website,CFR.org.

The Communications and Marketing department focuses on maximizing the presence of CFR in print, broadcast, and online media outlets and on promoting CFR’s roster of products, which includes on-the-record events, CFR books, Council Special Reports, Task Force reports, working papers, online publications and interactive features, and Foreign Affairs articles. The department also works to ensure that CFR experts are visible in the news media.

The responsibilities of the intern will include (but are not limited to): • Maintaining the media contact database • Fielding public inquiries about CFR and media requests for experts • Tracking and recording media mentions of CFR publications • Assisting staff at on-the-record events • Providing general administrative support • Assist with CFR’s social media presence and strategy.

Qualification:

Preferred Qualifications: • Academic major in Communications, Journalism, or International Relations • Proficiency in MS Word and Excel • Ability to multitask and work well collectively in a fast-paced environment • Good organizational skills and attention to detail

A modest stipend is offered upon completion of the internship.

Qualified candidates may email, fax, or mail their resume and cover letter INCLUDING POSITION NAME, DAYS AND TIMES AVAILABLE TO WORK to the above address. The Council on Foreign Relations is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Quality, diversity and balance are the key objectives sought by the Council on Foreign Relations in the composition of its workforce.

There is a great site called “Cub Reporters.Org” that lists not only internships but also job openings in journalism.

Granted, many of the listings are for outside the Washington, DC area. But maybe — just maybe — there might be a paid internship in a great place. (There are even some overseas listings.)

Give it a look!

First posted at Journalism, Journalists and the World.

NPR had a fun piece today about how the United States is now a spicier nation.

U.S. Is A Spicier Nation (Literally) Since 1970s

I am glad to see that seasoning other than salt is making its way into the US kitchen. (Much healthier.) And I am glad to see the internationalization of cooking. (I still remember 25+ years ago when pita was introduced into Air Force One and the uproar it caused.)

But let’s look at why different spices are now selling so well in the States.

When I taught a feature writing class at George Mason University I gave my students an assignment to find connections in everyday student life and the world. (Use of the Internet and interviewing foreign/exchange students did not count.) In a brainstorming session about what those possible links might be I suggested the food court.

The impact of foreign students on the school meant the restaurants had to adjust. So there was Arabic food and Hispanic food. There were places that offered food under the rules of halal and kashrut.

And now NPR tells us

The consumption of spices in the United States has grown almost three times as fast as the population over the past several decades. Much of that growth is attributed to the changing demographics of America.

So here is the entry to a whole series of LOCAL LOCAL LOCAL articles that include an international perspective.

A local reporter could look at the sales of spices in his/her area. Then figure out what ethnic group is most closely tied to those spices. Then he/she could look at the local growth of that ethnic group in the area.

Finding out the how and why these immigrants came to the United States and to that local area could provide the fodder for a whole series of local profile stories.

Getting the basic information is easy. Just go to the Census Bureau.

For example, in just 30 seconds I found that 10.4 percent of the Southern United States is foreign-born.

Digging a little deeper — another 30 seconds — I found that 10 percent of Virginia’s population is foreign-born.

And just a little deeper I learn that 27.7 percent of the Fairfax County population is foreign-born, with 50.7 percent of that group from Asia and 30 percent from Latin America. (Could that be why there are so many Asian grocery stores in Fairfax County?)

And the foreign-born population in Arlington County comes to 24 percent, with 30 percent from Asia and 44 percent from Latin America. (Could that be why there are more Latin American restaurants and stores in Arlington than in Fairfax?)

And let’s not forget how those differences also play out in issues other than spices and restaurants. Think about taxes, education and other social and political issues.

The mantra of LOCAL LOCAL LOCAL these days should include more stories that involve international aspects. It just takes an enterprising reporter to dig out the stories.

Nice piece in the Washington Post by Amy Gardner about entering the world of multimedia journalism. (My baptism into the brave new world of modern journalism)

She learned what broadcasters have known all along: You don’t have to film/tape everything. Or if you try, make sure you have either extra batteries or the ability to plug your recorder into an electrical outlet.

For a short while I did some freelance radio work for a Hong Kong station while in Washington. (I did even less work for a DC-based station as well.) One of the things I learned real fast is to find the hot box so I could get a clear recording of what was being said from the podium and — as noted earlier — to either bring lots of extra batteries or find the outlet right away.

And now with HD recording, the need to understand the difference between what a Flip HD and a Blackberry can generate is also important. (Not to mention HOW TO HOLD THE BLOODY THING!)

Gardner’s blog entry is a must read for any of the older ink-stained wretch generation who want to keep their jobs. (And then, make sure you get a little training in how to use the new equipment.)

First posted at Journalists, Journalism and the World

It is so nice to see the Poynter News University run a self-guided course on the very thing I (and a few others) have been harping on for so many years.

Local and global issues are linked. Editors and publishers who fail to see these links and who fail to allow reporters the leeway to report on those connections do readers/viewers/listeners a disservice.

No the News University is running a class to help established journalists see the links.

Reporting Global Issues Locally

I particularly like the second and third grafs of the class description:

Every day, reporters and editors in small- and medium-sized newsrooms miss opportunities for great stories because they don’t know how to take ownership of major international news.

Most big international stories have ripples that reach even the smallest of communities. “Reporting Global Issues Locally” will show you how to find the local angle in the broadest of international stories.

Again, this is the kind of stuff many of us have been saying is important to not only good local journalism, but also to the survival of local media outlets.