My Summer Internship with Picture News
Hello, I’m Katie, and I have completed a six-week summer internship with Picture News as a digital content and copy writer. I’ll be heading into my final year as an English student at the University of York in September, so I knew it was important to land an internship this summer to get a taste for the world of work. This blog will take you through my experience at Picture News, including the exciting tasks I carried out, and I’ll give you a glimpse of behind the scenes!
Searching for summer internships in the post-pandemic economy has been tricky for many university students, so it felt like the stars had aligned when I found and applied to Picture News through the university’s Internship Bureau, and even more so when I got the job! When looking for internships, I wanted to learn more about copy and content writing and develop the skill of writing for a target audience. Picture News has allowed me to do this, by writing for children and older people in a meaningful way. I had previously worked in a high school English department assisting students, who needed additional support, with GCSE preparation. I also helped care for my nana – she suffered with dementia and lived in sheltered housing surrounded by elderly neighbours. Knowing I’d get to help children and older people again through this internship drove me to apply!
I had my interview at the Picture News office with Katie and Nika and was thrilled when they offered me the job. My second year at university ended, and soon enough it was time for the internship to begin. Full of excitement for my first day, I made my way to Harrogate, and felt instantly welcomed upon arrival. After a tour of the office and introductions, I began my work!
One of the highlights of the Picture News internship is the real sense of responsibility I have had with each project. From research to content writing, I have had such job satisfaction knowing that my tasks have contributed to, and benefitted, Picture News and its subscribers. I’ve heard many internship stories where this level of involvement hasn’t been the case, so I am grateful to Katie, Rob, and the team for trusting me with each task.
So, what were my assignments? My six weeks at Picture News have been jam-packed with projects to keep me busy and develop my skills, and I’ve loved each one. My first task was to create the Academic Calendar for 2022-2023, with a full list of awareness days and holidays for each month (be sure to get your hands on one here!). This was a great first task to begin content writing for the school resources, and involved plenty of research, proof reading, and fact checking. We aimed to vary the content from previous years’ calendars, so hopefully you’ll see some surprises in there!
Furthermore, I contributed to various sections of the weekly resource packs, by researching and writing the Picture News Care themed resources and producing articles for the Care weekly good newspaper. Remember the pet oxygen masks and astronomy articles? It was a proud moment when my work was included in the finished Care Summer Special pack. Alongside resource writing with Nika, who produces the care content, I also created the Care Calendar for 2022-2023, and we made a wonderful team!
Research has played a big role throughout the internship, a skill I had developed at university, but didn’t realise just how useful it would be at work! I carried out research projects to develop ways to reach more people, and improve Picture News’ presence on social platforms, such as LinkedIn. As a younger person coming into the business with a fresh pair of eyes, the team welcomed my opinions formed from the research. These independent tasks were rewarding, and I have learnt a lot about the education and care sectors in the process. I have created social media posts to promote Picture News events, which were thought of as a result of the research tasks. You may have spotted some of these posts – visit the LinkedIn page to check them out! It is an amazing feeling knowing my ideas have been implemented and will hopefully have a positive impact on those accessing Picture News.
In addition to my assignments, the office environment has been particularly enjoyable. Although no two days are the same at Picture News HQ, you can guarantee there will be cups of tea on tap, the radio playing, and at least one of us thinking out loud while working (probably Nika or Ruth!), with the sound of the printers printing your packs in the background. I loved getting to know everyone, learning about their careers, and finding out how they came to work at Picture News. I worked closely with Nika, who helped me with projects along the way, and gave me much of her time. The team are incredibly kind and are committed to making a difference to schools and care homes, and this has been inspiring to witness.
As my internship has come to an end it is bittersweet, I have had an amazing six weeks and will be sad to say goodbye – or see you soon! To Katie, Rob, Nika, Ruth, Jo, Lisa, and Nicola, thank you for having me!
Katie Naughton
