Get to know Providence Journal summer intern Bella DeCrescenzo
A West Bay resident, Bella started on June 2 and will be a full-time presence in our newsroom through mid-August, when she will head back to the University of Maryland to continue her academic career.
We talked to Bella about her early experiences in journalism and how she hopes to grow in the profession.
Why are you interested in journalism? What topics are you most interested in?
I am interested in journalism because I want to aid members of the community by amplifying their voices to make sure that their stories are told. I think that many people's experiences can be overlooked, yet are shared by others and often deserve to be recognized. I want to share these important stories with the community. I also know how important having informed community members is to the strength of our democracy and I want to help provide people with timely news. I am most interested in writing about local politics and the local impacts of federal politics. I also enjoy covering local events and writing features about local community members and businesses. I have some experience with environmental reporting, which I would enjoy exploring more. I really want to explore as many different topics as possible this summer so I can gain a variety of skills and figure out what I enjoy reporting on the most.
What are you hoping to get out of your internship with The Providence Journal?
Through my internship with The Providence Journal, I hope to get more consistent reporting experience to help strengthen my newswriting skills and gain confidence as a reporter. I hope to report on a variety of beats and cover many topics to figure out which beats I want to focus on in the future. Compiling clips across many beats will also allow me to build a strong portfolio to reflect my time at The Providence Journal. I also hope to cultivate strong professional relationships with my colleagues this summer. I want to spend time shadowing the experienced journalists within the newsroom and hearing about their journalistic processes. From writing tips to career advice, I want to take this opportunity to learn from the professionals around me and forge meaningful connections that last beyond this internship.
Tell us about some of your favorite journalism-related experiences from the University of Maryland.
Through my classes and extracurriculars at the University of Maryland, I have gained some exciting journalism-related experiences that have continuously made me more confident in my career path. During a broadcast writing class I took this past year, my professor gave us the opportunity to attend Sen. Angela Alsobrooks' campaign headquarters on election night. Alongside journalists from Fox 5 and other well-known stations, we had an amazing experience filming speeches for our package and interviewing very passionate, emotional supporters of Alsobrooks. This past year, I also covered a weeklong environmental-justice symposium where we interviewed the heads of the event about their experience spreading awareness about the effects of climate change on marginalized communities. While I have had the opportunity to cover many more exciting topics and events, the journalism program at the University of Maryland has also given me the opportunity to work with many experienced journalists. Due to the journalism college's impressive staff, I have the support and guidance of Washington Post and CNN reporters who have pushed me to improve as a journalist.
What are some things you want readers to know about you?
I want readers to know that while I am still a student and am still learning, they can trust my work to be timely and accurate. I hope that they know how seriously I take this opportunity and how excited I am to be able to provide them with important local news. I also want readers to know that while I go to school in Maryland, I am a Rhode Island resident and have stayed up to date on the current issues and happenings in Rhode Island. Overall, I want them to know that I am excited to report on the issues that they want to read about. Their experiences and what they want to learn more about are what will influence me as I look for stories to write and news to cover. I look forward to jumping into local reporting.
This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Bella DeCrescenzo to serve summer internship with Providence Journal
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