The Jewish Telegraphic Agency’s intern program for young Jewish journalists will begin its second year next month, it was announced today by Robert H. Arnow, JTA president. The decision to continue the program was based on its success this year, Arnow said.
Six young men and women participated in the program which included training in all phases of journalism and provided them with an opportunity to understand the nature, activities and developments in the world-wide Jewish community.
Their training included rewriting international and domestic wire copy, covering meetings of Jewish communal organizations, interviewing those who make news in the community, contributing features, and covering the news events when and where it was happening. The intern program was devised to get them to “where the action is.”
Of the six interns, four were in the New York office, one in the Washington bureau, and one on the staff of the Jewish Advocate in Boston. In addition, five interns were on the staff of The Jewish News of Detroit. The Jewish News program, however, was an independent effort undertaken and supported by Philip Slomovitz, editor and publisher of The Jewish News.
ARNOW; BUILD CADRE OF JEWISH JOURNALISTS
Interns-both those sponsored by the JTA and those sponsored by The Jewish News – expressed interest in continuing their involvement in the field of Jewish journalism or Jewish communal affairs after they had completed their internship. They also noted that the training received proved to be immeasurably valuable in providing them with a wider grasp of the functions of Jewish agencies and institutions, and the political and social involvement of communal leaders in world affairs.
One of the interns, Joel Mandelbaum, became the first JTA scholarship-sponsored Charles Frost Fellow in Jewish Journalism. Of the other interns, one became editor of an American-Jewish campus newspaper; another, publicity director for a student group involved in the struggle for Soviet Jewry; and a third, active in a local Federation.
One of the interns, upon completing her internship, wrote: “Having previously had only a superficial and one-sided knowledge of such matters as Israel and Soviet politics. I became more aware of Jewish activity throughout the world through my assignments and being in this (New York JTA) office. I am now able to understand these activities and developments with a greater insight, My internship has fulfilled every prerequisite of an exciting job.”
Reflecting on next year’s program. Arnow observed that it will continue the same type of training with the aim of developing a cadre of young Jewish journalists who will provide Jewish journalism with continuity and vigor. Applications are now being accepted for the program. Address all inquiries to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency, 660 First Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10016.
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