Junior broadcast journalism major Joe Bruno is weaving his way through the world of TV news thanks to his summer internship.
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by Hannah DelaCourt ’14
Since he was in sixth grade, Joe Bruno knew he wanted a career in news. What he didn’t know was how he would fit into the world of news.
But this summer, Bruno, a junior broadcast journalism major, is interning at WFMZ-TV in Allentown, Pa., an internship he hopes will provide him with a better idea of where to devote his time.
Still, Bruno says he came to Elon for one reason: Phoenix14News (now called Elon Local News). What he did not foresee was how big a role the organization would play in his acceptance to the internship he holds now.
Kyle Andersen, a Phoenix14News and 2008 Elon alumnus, worked at WFMZ-TV from 2009-2011 as an assignment editor. When Bruno applied, Andersen’s former supervisor saw he was from Elon and called Andersen, who now works at WMAR-TV in Baltimore, to ask about him.
Bruno had actually never met Andersen before, but Andersen was visiting Elon the next week so they met to talk. After speaking for a while, Andersen recommended Bruno to his former supervisor, which ultimately saved Bruno a trip home for the interview.
“Instead of having to fly home for an interview, my supervisor gave me a phone interview instead,” he says. “I believe Kyle Andersen had a big role in helping me land the internship.”
As the news director of Elon Local News, Bruno has reported, produced and set up stories. He hopes his summer internship helps him figure out which role he prefers. So far he has been able to do a little of everything at WFMZ, even though he is only working two days a week.
“I really try to make sure I am giving it my all during those two days,” he says. “I put in a 13-hour work day where I was able to work the assignment desk, head out to a high school football all-star game and then work with the morning show producer. It was tough but, ultimately, so rewarding.”
To this point Bruno says everyone at the station has been impressed not only with his work and work ethic but also with his knowledge of the industry, as a whole, which he also attributes to ELN. Many at the station were surprised that a rising junior already had a reel to showcase.
And it’s not just the pros who have praised Bruno’s efforts. The other interns have noticed his work, too.
“They were jealous that their schools do not have as well structured of a student newscast,” he says. “It wasn’t just Elon Local News that attributed to my success. The fact that the School of Communications let me have an internship as a rising sophomore was crucial.”
He interned at NBC40 last summer, and because of his experience there he already knew what he was getting himself into this summer.
Bruno wants to be ready to attack local news coverage, and he knows he will never get bored.
“Through my internships and ELN experience, I know that news is definitely the right business for me,” he says. “Every day is different, and that is what I love about news.”
Intern Insider will run periodically during the summer and will feature brief stories about some of the interns from the School of Communications or in School of Communications programs.