Sarah Evans wrote a song in 2005 called “Missing Missouri.” I listened to it on repeat during the fall and spring semester of my sophomore year. After spending two continuous years in Manhattan, Kansas, I badly missed the summer breeze floating into the open windows of my parent’s farm house. I knew that this would be the last time to be “dependent” on my parents, to see my brother enter his senior year of high school and to enjoy nights under the stars with my family. So I took the chance to take a summer internship that allowed me to be located at home and gave me the flexibility to enjoy a sweet Missouri summer.
During the months of May through August, I interned at a local farm broadcasting station in Carrollton, Missouri called KANZA Inc., KMZU 100.7 FM. I heard about the internship while listening to the radio as I was driving home one weekend. I emailed my resume and cover letter to my supervisors and attended a formal interview in their office a few weeks later. There were two interns including myself and our duties were catered towards our interests and skills.
During my internship, I conducted interviews, wrote news articles, conducted live remote broadcasts, coordinated a promotional giveaway and managed social media and design.
As an intern, I learned more about the medium of broadcast journalism. This form of journalism relies heavily on sales and advertising, as advertisement dollars are needed to fund the music and programming that airs on the station. Our radio station also offered 24-hour local news coverage, which meant we remained updated on the current events in over 15 counties.
My duties throughout the summer were various, but I spent most of my time working on our promotional giveaway that occurred throughout the entirety of the summer. I attended many remote broadcasts and collected entries to win our $14,000 Mahindra XTV. We partnered with a local Mahindra dealership to create a promotional campaign for both their business and KMZU. We conducted “pop-up” entries throughout the summer as well through social media and on air call-ins.
I quickly learned that no matter where you work, big or small, you will always encounter someone who does not agree with your idea. It was humbling to learn that I couldn’t be married to an idea, story or design. Although I may have thought the product was outstanding, the approval of my supervisor was superior to my wants. Because I was willing to adapt and change based on the decision of a group, my employers were pleased with the end result.
My favorite part of the summer was attending remote broadcasts. Throughout the course of the summer, these events also challenged my thinking and provided me with a better understanding of what I hoped to do in the future. I learned through these events because I saw what an importance this small, local radio station was to the community. People were eager to talk with the DJ and finally put a face to the name they listened to every day. Every tractor in west central Missouri was tuned in to hear our bottom and top of the hour farm market reports. KMZU was many community members source for local news. People came to fairs, festivals and fundraisers because they “heard about it on the radio.”
Although my internship didn’t have a fancy title or wasn’t attached to a widely known company, I still found it to be worthy. Many believe that radio, along with newsprint is a dying breed. Broadcast journalism mediums may be changing, but I believe they still have a large role in the continuation and success of rural America.
Through this internship experience, I have a better understanding of where my interests lie. I hope to work not in broadcast journalism, but in advertising and marketing communications. More importantly, this internship highlighted the benefits and challenges of working a rural community. I want to live and raise my family in a small town similar to those I was able to work in this summer. This “dream job” may not come with an engraved nameplate or a fancy office suite, but I can help impact the lives of others through my work and give back to a community and a place that has given so much to me.