Reflecting on a Summer Internship at Charlotte Journalism Collaborative

We recently caught up with high schoolers Davenport and Elizabeth to ask for details about their internships last summer. They both worked with the Charlotte Journalism Collaborative (TCJC) an organization devoted to making positive changes in the community through local journalism. Part of their role including helping get the word out on a graphic novel, called “PANDEM!C: Stories of COVID-19,” created by TCJC, with partnering from local media outlets, artists, and community partners (you can see images from the piece above and learn a little more about the project to the right, or below).

How did you learn about The Charlotte Journalism Collaborative?

Davenport: I learned about The Charlotte Journalism Collaborative (TCJC) through College Solutions. I expressed interest to Margaret Baudinet about journalism, and she connected me to TCJC, making my internship possible.

Elizabeth: I learned about the Charlotte Journalism Collaborative from Margaret Baudinet and her College Solutions team. After hearing about the organization, I was immediately interested in finding a way to work with them!

Do you like writing – is that one of the things that interested you in this position? 

Davenport: Yes, I enjoy reading and writing. I am currently in AP Language at my high school. It is focused heavily on fundamental reading and writing skills.

Elizabeth: Yes, I enjoy writing and that is definitely one of the things that interested me in this position. It was super interesting and eye-opening to learn more about the journalism process.

What kinds of things did you do as an intern?  What did you enjoy most? 

Davenport: I worked on TCJC’s graphic novel project and wrote a reflection piece for them about the topics discussed in the novel and how it connects to teenagers such as myself. I enjoyed getting to connect with people and sitting in on their team’s weekly Zoom calls.

Elizabeth: I attended various Zoom meetings and I got to know the team and witnessed behind the scenes of the journalism process. It was absolutely fascinating to learn about the details and hard work put into each piece.

I read about the graphic novel - it looked amazing! What were your responsibilities with that project?

Davenport: In my reflection piece, I discussed pressing topics like the pandemic, schools, hospitals, news, etc.

Elizabeth: I got to write a small piece stating my views and ideas about the project. The graphic novel is truly amazing, and I especially love how it includes eye-catching artwork along with fascinating, heartfelt, impactful, and authentic stories.

What do you think you are interested in as an ultimate career? 

Davenport: One of the benefits of this internship with TCJC is that I have been able to expand my understanding of my options as a young woman in the United States. At this time, I am interested in Women’s Studies and how it relates to journalism.

Elizabeth: As an ultimate career, I am interested in journalism or possibly psychology.

Anything else?

Davenport: I enjoyed getting real-life work experience. I talked with one of Mr. Rudisill’s (TCJC’s director) colleagues about the possibilities for careers in journalism, and he gave me guidance for life and career paths going forward.

Graphic Novel PANDEM!C vividly illustrates Covid’s impact

When COVID-19 first began to impact the Charlotte community in early 2020, the Charlotte Journalism Collaborative (TCJC), six area media, and three community partners wanted a creative way to get relevant, reliable information to people who might not be reading or tuning into traditional news sources. They sought something that combined the visual pop of a 1950s-style monster movie poster with informed local news reporting and landed on a graphic novel called “THE PANDEM!C: Stories of COVID-19.”

The novel comprises stories and illustrations by eight journalists and eight local artists that share how COVID-19 has affected the lives of real people in Charlotte. Each chapter tells a specific story of impact based on an actual article published by members of the Charlotte journalism community.

Those involved say one of the strengths of “PANDEM!C” is its reliance on solutions-based reporting—continuing a story beyond just the identification of a problem. Through research, journalists find research and identify methods for overcoming problems. In the case of COVID, it meant looking beyond the infection and death numbers.

This free comic book style collection launched last October and is available online at https://digitalbranch.cmlibrary.org/cjc/graphic-novel/