The COVID-19 pandemic upended many College of Journalism and Mass Communications students’ summer jobs and internships, but Jill Martin, assistant professor of practice in journalism, saw an opportunity to help students and improve coverage and communications about the pandemic in Nebraska.

She, along with a group of faculty, worked to establish a summer internship program that would provide students with paid internship opportunities in the college and help businesses and news outlets throughout the state cover and respond to the pandemic.

“When the pandemic hit, we saw our students and our industry partners struggling,” Martin said. “By creating an internship program in the college, we knew we could help both.”

Nine interns are working for the Nebraska News Service, covering news and events in state government, Lincoln and communities throughout Nebraska. Jessica Fargen-Walsh, assistant professor of journalism, is serving as editor of the Nebraska News Service this summer.

Thirteen students are working for Unlimited Sports, a division of the Nebraska News Service, covering the effect of COVID-19 on sports and the gradual relaunch of sports programs throughout Nebraska. John Shrader, associate professor of sports media, is the editor.

Five students are working for the Roper Lab: Data in Community Journalism, a division of the Nebraska News Service. Students are using data analysis to create stories on a wide variety of issues and algorithms to localize stories to Nebraska communities. Matt Waite, professor of practice in journalism, and Olga Pierce, assistant professor of practice in journalism, are the data editors.

Stories are published on the Nebraska News Service website and distributed to more than 100 news outlets throughout the state for publication through local news sources.

Five students are interning with Bryan Wang, associate professor of advertising and public relations, on a health communication research project examining the spread of disinformation about COVID-19 and other health-related topics through social media.

The Jacht Ad Lab has 17 students interning under the supervision of Jemalyn Griffin, assistant professor of practice in advertising and public relations and Jacht director; Alan Eno, director of video production and assistant professor of practice in journalism; and Katie Krcmarik, creative director and assistant professor of practice in advertising and public relations. Students are working with a variety of clients throughout Nebraska to develop and execute advertising and public relations campaigns. This summer’s clients include Omaha Public Schools and Husker Dialogues, a University of Nebraska–Lincoln program aimed at creating a more inclusive community.

Six students are interning for Climate Change Nebraska and are producing in-depth multimedia stories about the effects of climate change on the state. Jenn Sheppard, assistant professor of practice in journalism, is serving as the Climate Change Nebraska summer editor.

Generous donations from college alumni entirely support summer 2020 interns.

Summer 2020 student interns are:

Nebraska News Service

• Nathan Bacon, junior, broadcasting

• Colby Woodson, senior, journalism

• Luna Stephens, junior, journalism, advertising and public relations

• Katherine Anderson, senior, advertising and public relations

• Blaney Dreifurst, sophomore, journalism

• Madeleine Grant, junior, journalism, French

• Haley Heiden, senior, broadcasting

• Mark Champion, senior, advertising and public relations, journalism

• Natalie Stanley, senior, journalism

Unlimited Sports

• Lydia Asplin, senior, sports media and communication

• Abby Barmore, senior, sports media and communication

• Jake Bartecki, senior, broadcasting, sports media and communication

• Brent Bartels, senior, broadcasting, sports media and communication

• Geoff Exstrom, junior, senior, broadcasting, sports media and communication

• Tyler Fangman, senior, sports media and communication

• Cody Frederick, senior, journalism, sports media and communication

• Emma Hastings, senior, broadcasting, sports media and communication

• Drake Keeler, junior, journalism

• Brennan Merkle, junior, sports media and communication

• Molly Robinson

• Justin Slepicka, junior, sports media and communication

• Kylee Sodomka, sophomore, sports media and communication

Roper Lab: Data in Community Journalism

• Natalie Saenz, senior, broadcasting, journalism

• Kaitlynn Johnson, senior, journalism, psychology

• Sierra Karst, senior, journalism

• Tim Hofmann, junior, sports media and communication

• Will Bauer, senior, broadcasting, journalism, sports media and communication

Health Communications Research

• Arielle Wiedenbeck, senior, advertising and public relations, political science

• Fathiyyah Maryufani, graduate student, political science

• Martin Herz, junior, broadcasting, sports media and communication

Jacht Ad Agency

• Andrea Lim, graduate student, journalism and mass communications

• Collin Fink, senior, advertising and public relations

• Madelyn Meier, senior, advertising and public relations, journalism

• Luci Moran, junior, advertising and public relations, journalism

• Lauren Tritch, senior, advertising and public relations

• Emerson Belitz, senior, advertising and public relations

• Natalie Drozd, graduate student, journalism and mass communications

• Jamie Brunken, senior, advertising and public relations

• Jason Chan, senior, marketing

• Helena Slaughter, senior, advertising and public relations

• Marissa Scalora, senior, advertising and public relations

• Luna Stephens, junior, advertising and public relations, journalism

• Thao Huynh, senior, advertising and public relations, graphic design

• Carter Nelson, senior, graphic design

• Ann Milroy, senior, advertising and public relations, broadcasting

• Sydney Burdick, junior, advertising and public relations, broadcasting

• Lindsey Woods, senior, advertising and public relations

Climate Change Nebraska

• Lauren Dietrich, junior, advertising and public relations, journalism

• Dylan Patrick, junior, political science

• Carlee Koehler, senior, fisheries and wildlife, journalism

• Aila Ganic, junior, political science

• Celeste Kenworthy, senior, environmental studies, geology

• Kayla Vondracek, senior, environmental studies