INTERNSHIP SPOTLIGHT: Meghan Ellsworth

JDM Senior, Meghan Ellsworth, a Broadcast Communication major and Spanish minor, travelled all the way to Africa to intern at a TV station this summer.  Coastal TV, based in Cape Coast, Ghana, is a small station that strives to educate the community and focus on social issues within Ghana’s Central Region.  Ellsworth’s time was definitely an adventure and the unique experience will be something she carries with her into future jobs.

Name: Meghan Ellsworth
Internship: Coastal TV
Location of Internship: Cape Coast, Ghana, Africa

 “Job Title”: Coastal TV Intern

Favorite Part of Internship: The best part of my internship was that I could play a huge part in the production aspect of the station’s programming.  The station is small and since I brought my own equipment I became a producer, shooter and editor in the first week.  Being able to have my hands in every part of the production of a TV show was a great experience.

Least favorite part of internship: My least favorite part of the internship was definitely the prevalence of “Ghana time.”  Basically, this means that it can be expected that your interviewee, your co-worker, or even your boss will be up to an hour later than when they said they’d arrive.  In an industry that relies on deadlines it’s hard to work around people who are chronically late.
What will you take away from this internship for future jobs?  I learned a lot about filming in different climates, weather situations and settings.  From loud Ghanaian markets to bright sunny beaches to rainy street settings, I had to adapt to the situation and figure out what worked best in each, usually with very little time to spare.  Being able to adapt to the environment and still produce quality footage will definitely give me an advantage in future jobs.


How did AU and the JDM department help you succeed in the internship:  Knowing how to edit was a huge help, especially since I was usually editing with very little time to spare.  What the JDM department taught me about editing, as well as how to compose a shot and use a camera were a huge help in my internship.  All the hands on experience I was given at AU paid off in the field.  Without that knowledge I would not have gotten as much out of my experience as I did.