Growing the next generation of local journalists

Every summer, our newsroom becomes more than a place where stories are written—it becomes a classroom, a workshop, and, we hope, the starting point for future careers in local journalism.

This year, eight interns joined The Lakeville Journal and The Millerton News for an intensive six-week experience that immersed them in community reporting. Three were high school students attending Housatonic Valley Regional High School, The Hotchkiss School and Loomis Chaffee School. The remaining five were college students from Ithaca College, Marist University, the University of Connecticut, Loyola University and Northwestern University.Although they arrived with different backgrounds and varying levels of journalism experience, they all shared a connection to the Northwest Corner of Connecticut or neighboring Dutchess County and a curiosity about the communities most call home.

Rather than watching from the sidelines, the interns became part of the newsroom. They covered local events, interviewed residents, wrote feature stories, attended meetings, and worked alongside our editors and reporters as they learned how local journalism comes together—from the first interview to the final edit. Along the way, they discovered that reporting is equal parts preparation, persistence, curiosity and listening.

Their education extended well beyond reporting assignments. Throughout the summer, community leaders and media professionals volunteered their time to lead weekly workshops on subjects that every journalist should understand.

Attorney and LJMN Media Inc. board member Devereaux Chatillon explored media law and intellectual property. Veteran photographer Anne Day shared practical techniques for creating stronger images, even using a smartphone. Francesca Donner, former gender editor at The New York Times and founder of The Persistent, challenged the interns to think critically about female representation in journalism. Compass editor Natalia Zukerman discussed the art of interviewing, while our news editors Christian Murray, Aly Morrissey and Nathan Miller offered practical lessons in reporting, feature writing and the newsroom process.

Perhaps the greatest lessons, however, came from simply being out in the community.

Several interns told us they now pay far more attention to what’s happening around them than they did before the program. Others said the experience pushed them beyond their comfort zones, whether that meant approaching strangers for interviews or covering busy public events. One intern joked about discovering “there can be a lot of drama over a tennis court,” a reminder that every community has stories waiting to be uncovered. Another described the experience as “breaking the bubble”—seeing familiar towns through fresh eyes and recognizing the people and issues that shape everyday life.

This week, each intern shares what they learned during the summer on pages B1 and B2.

Programs like this depend on people who know that local journalism matters. We are deeply grateful to the William and Mary Greve Foundation and individual donors for their generous support of this year’s summer internship program. We also welcomed one intern through our partnership with Marist University, another investment in developing future journalists.

That investment couldn’t be more important.

Strong communities need strong, reliable local reporting and coverage of town halls, school boards, housing, healthcare, environmental issues, local businesses, sports, and the countless stories that rarely make national headlines but shape daily life here.

The newsroom will feel a little quieter when they head back to school, but we have every reason to believe we’ll be hearing from many of them again.