ComArtSci student Hannah Brock, spent the summer of 2021 as an intern reporter at the Jackson Citizen Patriot.
While working as an intern reporter for the Jackson Citizen Patriot, Brock’s primary function was to write stories that included features, local government stories, breaking news, community interest stories and more. She knew this internship was for her after learning so much during her first internship with MLive. She wanted to continue the great opportunity knowing the Jackson Citizen Patriot is another department at MLive. She mentioned not only are the reporters at MLive kind and helpful, but they are also very talented. She was grateful she was able to spend time with both the statewide and Jackson team. Each day she was given the opportunity to grow and learn.
Brock shared the greatest lesson she learned from her internship and how it helped her with skills and personal development.
“Working in a professional newsroom allowed me to sharpen my storytelling skills,” Brock said. “This helped me highlight voices in the Jackson community. This internship gave me a chance to create meaningful relationships with community members and tell important stories. This has not only shaped me as a young journalist but will continue to be the platform I spring from as I look forward to entering a journalism career.”
Brock is currently an intern reporter for MiBiz, a West Michigan-based business journal. She is also a teaching assistant in JRN 430 News Media Law and Ethics and a research assistant to her mentor Dr. Chavez. They work together to research crisis reporting, misinformation/disinformation and other contemporary issues in journalism.
Brock also shared how her freshman and sophomore years were her favorite.
“I was grateful and proud to graduate early with academic honor last semester. I felt incredibly proud to graduate as a Spartan journalist, which was made possible by my mentors and professors in the J-School. My time as a freshman and sophomore are my fondest memories. I met great friends and classmates who turned into colleagues. These first few years were filled with the excitement of endless possibilities and a willful, helping hand from my professors every step of the way. I’m excited to explore the possibilities and build relationships within the graduate journalism program.”
Brock plans to graduate with her master’s degree in spring of 2023. From there, she hopes to work towards becoming an investigative journalist. Brock says that she is passionate about writing any stories that help inform and strengthen her community. She is excited to see what is in store for her once she graduates and says she is pretty much open to anything.
By Demetria Bias