Experience has taught us that students learn best by doing. For 10 weeks, usually in the third year of study, students leave campus to work fulltime for, with and alongside veteran journalists or public relations practitioners in professional environments. The goal of the Journalism Residency is for students to get the kinds of hands-on experience that helps them develop new skills, test old skills, work under deadline pressure, hone their news judgment, sharpen their fact-checking and research skills, build confidence in their capabilities and explore new career paths not previously considered. This is a required component of the B.S. in journalism degree program.
Our media partners—newspaper/online companies, magazines, broadcast stations and networks, online organizations and marketing communications groups—understand that Journalism Residency is no ordinary internship. It is professional work by students enrolled in Medill’s pre-professional program of study, but it is at the same time a learning experience for which the students earn university credit.
Requirements
To prepare for success in the Journalism Residency, students must complete with grades of C or higher:
- Enterprise Reporting course (JOUR 301)
- a course linked to the student’s preferred JR industry (e.g. JOUR 321: Magazine and Feature Writing; IMC 331: Public Relations Writing and Strategy; and/or JOUR 323: Broadcast Production and Presentation)
- JOUR 370: Media Law and Ethics
- either JOUR 342: Advanced Online Storytelling or JOUR 368: Documentary
Typically, students will take JOUR 370 and either JOUR 342 or JOUR 368 during an intensive five weeks before leaving for the 10-week Journalism Residency in the spring semester of the junior year.
Residency sites
Students will be invited to submit their preferences for Journalism Residency sites and industries, but the final decision about JR placement will be made by NU-Q leadership. The decision will take into account a number of factors, including students’ training, internships, campus journalism and communications-related experiences, interests, career goals, grades and insights from faculty.
While students may not get their top choice of site, they are assured an assignment that will allow them to develop their skills and grow professionally. Students should consider their skill level and experience and the demands of the sites when voicing their preferences for placement.
Organizations that have hosted Northwestern University in Qatar students include:
- Al Jazeera (Washington, D.C.)
- National Geographic TV (Washington, D.C.)
- National Geographic magazine (Washington, D.C.)
- Qatar Foundation International (Washington, D.C.)
- Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting (Washington, D.C.)
- Amnesty International media/public relations (Washington, D.C.)
- American Bar Association Journal (Chicago)
- WGN-TV (Chicago)
- Content That Works (Chicago)
- Catalyst magazine (Chicago)
- The Huffington Post (New York City)
- Huffington Post Live! (New York City)
- AOL.com (New York City)
- Financial Times (New York City)
- Time magazine (New York City)
- Sports Illustrated magazine (New York City)
- Condé Nast Traveler magazine (New York City)
- BLJ Worldwide strategic communications (New York City)
- Fast Company magazine (New York City)
- Women's eNews (New York City)
- Marie Claire magazine (New York City)
- Cosmopolitan magazine (New York City)
- Grayling public relations (London)
- Bloomsbury Publishing (London)
- Cosmopolitan magazine (London)
- Vogue magazine (London)
- The Red Consultancy public relations (London)
- Fleishman-Hillard public relations (Paris)
- EuroNews (Lyon, France)
- Her.ie (Dublin)
- ExxonMobil public relations (Doha)