Augustana University student Andrew Kronaizl ‘23, of Vermillion, South Dakota, is a journalism and English major. He is interning at South Dakota Public Broadcasting (SDPB) in downtown Sioux Falls, where he is reporting, as well as producing radio news stories. He also assists with the production of one of SDPB’s monthly TV shows. Gaining hands-on experience in the field, Kronaizl has discovered his passion for audio production.
Q: What extracurricular activities are you involved in?
A: This past year I was the news editor for The Augustana Mirror, and next year I’ll be working as a copy editor for the publication.
Q: What are your career goals/aspirations?
A: I can see myself pursuing a career in journalism, especially with a focus on audio production. At the same time, I could see myself taking my experience in the field of audio and applying it to other career paths, such as entertainment. Whatever I end up doing, though, I want to approach my career in a way that combines the concrete, factual approach of my journalism major with the creative mindset of my English major.
Q: Where or how did you hear about Augustana?
A: I have a family member who has worked at Augustana since I was little, so I’ve been coming to campus for as long as I can remember. By the time I was looking at where to go for college, I already had an appreciation of Augustana, its campus and the community, so the school was at the front of my mind.
Q: What is/are the reason(s) you chose to come to Augustana?
A: While I’ve been around Augustana all my life, what really stood out to me was its approach to academics. I remember looking at Augustana in high school and finding out about the Civitas (Honors) Program, where professors teach unique topics that they really feel passionate about. In a similar sense, I was excited by the variety of classes that the English program offers, ranging from creative writing courses and classes on film to ones on theory. In all, it felt like the university really cared about teaching students in an interdisciplinary, passion-focused way.
Q: What will your job duties include?
A: A large part of my job is reporting on and producing radio news stories. The process includes interviewing people, writing a version of the story to go on our website, then working with the audio from interviews to make a version of the story that will air on the radio. Additionally, I’m also assisting with the production of one of SDPB’s monthly TV shows, “South Dakota Focus.” For that show, my tasks are a mix of broadcast production, such as working with the lights and cameras, and behind-the-scenes work, like researching topics for episodes.
Q: How did you get the internship? Did anyone help you? What did that journey look like?
A: I was lucky enough to have friends in the English & Journalism Department who had already experienced some of the news internships available in Sioux Falls. One of them even worked at SDPB last summer and gave a glowing review of the position. Between the advice of my classmates and support of my advisors in the English & Journalism Department, I ended up applying and getting the position.
Q: What do you like most about your internship?
A: I enjoy the entire process of producing a news story, but the step of putting all the audio together is just incredibly fulfilling. I’ve always had a fascination with audio engineering and production, ranging from radio news to music production, so being able to take a deep dive into this field is so rewarding.
Q: What do you hope to learn/gain from the internship?
A: My goal is to leave this internship feeling much more comfortable with the tools of the trade, whether that be the software or hardware, from recording and mastering audio to setting up the lights and cameras of a shoot. I really enjoy hands-on learning, and coincidentally, I think that kind of knowledge is really what a good journalist needs to have under their belt.
Q: Why is experiential learning so important to you in your future endeavors?
A: In a field like broadcast journalism, there’s only so much you can learn from being in a classroom. Whether it’s working with the software and equipment or experiencing the dynamic of a newsroom, I think you have to be immersed in the day-to-day tasks to get a complete understanding of the job. For me, this hands-on experience is giving me the skills that I’ll be using every day as I continue in the field of journalism.
Q: How important is building relationships/connections?
A: From my internship so far, I’ve seen how supportive of a community journalists are in the state. Both within outlets and between different companies, it seems like so many people in the industry want to inform the public first and foremost, which lends itself well to strong relationships with others. For me, getting the opportunity to jump into this community is giving me a solid ground to continue working in the field of journalism.
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