Journalism senior Tatianna Hemphill was busy applying to jobs in Detroit when she got a call from an unknown number. When Hemphill picked up the phone, CBS New York was on the other end of the call. By the end of an impromptu interview, Hemphill had an offer to be their summer evening news intern.
From her very first day, the workers at CBS were overwhelmingly supportive. Hemphill mainly worked under the executive producer, where she got to sit in on meetings and collaborate with producers. The best thing Hemphill said anyone can do when interning is to “Ask. Talk to everyone and see what you can do.”
Dana Tyler, CBS news anchor, took Hemphill under her wing. They developed a strong relationship throughout the summer. Hemphill had the opportunity to practice reading stories to Tyler, who in turn provided constructive criticism of her voice, presence and appearance. She also assisted Hemphill in writing, tracking and developing stories for the evening news.
At the end of the summer, Hemphill was elected to be the student anchor on the intern newscast. This presented the opportunity for people to see her in front of the camera. The footage was also used as recruiting material for future interns.
Overall, Hemphill credits her success at CBS to her go-getter attitude. She made it her mission to experience every facet of news during her internship, which led to a positive experience.
“You have to ask to get involved,” said Hemphill. “Opportunities rarely just fall in your lap.”