Editor Smith Weighs In On Sam The Reporter

We have one of the best intern programs in the country. Last summer we had 12 interns, this summer we’ll have eight.

We have had the last three editors of the Oregon Daily Emerald at the University of Oregon. We’ll have the last two editors of the Daily Evergreen at WSU and Sam was 2005-2006 editor of the Argonaut at the U of I.

We are getting the top students in the region and many of the top students from places like Northwestern, the University of Missouri and Kansas, among others. We even have had interns from the smaller local schools, though their programs are relatively tiny.

Frankly, I’d like to hire all of them. But hiring is a tricky business. It depends on openings, desired experience levels, etc. And, to be honest, there are a lot of reporters out there for very few positions. Copy editors and designers have a better chance of being hired.

Sam and Jared Paben, two of the best interns I’ve ever had, both went to Bellingham because we had no available openings at the end of their 2006 internships. They will get some valuable seasoning working for two of the best small-paper editors in the business. Then they’ll move on, maybe back to us, maybe somewhere else.

I am very proud of both and of all the interns we’ve had the last several years.

steve