Internship exposes Rider senior to professional journalism

Over the summer, senior journalist major Tom Regan interned at the Times of Trenton, working directly with professional editors and writers and experiencing the journalism industry first-hand. Regan was responsible for going out in the field and producing up to three articles per day.

While he worked on a variety of stories, he focused on crime. He developed a morning routine of stopping by the Trenton Police Department to learn about arrests that took place the day before. In addition to working with police, Regan covered many other general assignment stories.

“My favorite story was an update on the Zika virus,” Regan says, referring to the virus that infected more than 100 New Jersey residents over the summer. “I followed around the Mercer County Mosquito Control Commission for a day and went to a mosquito breeding site.”

While he learned new skills as an intern, Regan also brought a ton of knowledge with him that he gained as the executive editor of The Rider News, the University's weekly student newspaper. For his internship, Regan had to adjust to the production of a daily paper that also publishes online at NJ.com. However, he stresses that he would never have had the opportunity to succeed at his internship without the experiences Rider has granted him.

In addition to being a key leader of The Rider News, Regan credits his classes and his professors for their assistance in helping him along his career path. His communications classes have improved his writing abilities, as well as teaching him important skills such as time management and copyediting. He especially commends journalism professor Dr. Thomas Simonet for helping him obtain his great experience with The Times of Trenton.

“With my recommendation, my experiences and my leadership role at The Rider News, I was able to land this amazing summer internship that has provided me with lifelong skills for the future,” Regan says.

Rider's Department of Communication, Journalism, and Media offers one of the most extensive communication internship programs anywhere. Because the University is located in a media-rich corridor densely populated with communication outlets as well as major corporations and nonprofit organizations, opportunities usually outnumber available students. Rider has a working relationships organizations such as Condé Nast Publishing, the New York Giants and Comcast Sportsnet. Overall, Rider offers more than 1,000 internship, co-op or field placement opportunities every year. Seventy percent of all Rider students complete at least one of those before graduating.

Upon graduating from Rider, Regan aspires to be a sports reporter. Writing and reporting multiple stories on deadline showed him what he can expect from a fast-paced, demanding industry. Regan is very thankful he had the opportunity to learn so much about his field of interest so he can be prepared for what's next in store.

"Even though I did not cover sports for the 'Times of Trenton,' the work I was able to put in, along with experience in sports reporting roles, has prepared me for any journalistic opportunity," Regan says. "I feel confident for the next chapter of my career."