This summer, I was honored to work as an Assignment Desk College Associate (Intern) through the School of Communication Dean's Internship program with the Fox Business Network (FBN). FBN is a financial news channel delivering real-time information across all platforms that impact both Main Street and Wall Street.

Over the course of the internship, I have had the opportunity to dive deep into the business broadcast industry and gain practical experience while interning for one of the largest media and entertainment companies in the world. Notably, I was able to participate in real-world projects. This allowed me to gain valuable work experience and attain new leadership skills.

With the internship being remote, I was able to work with both the New York and Washington, DC bureaus to observe all of the moving parts behind the network. As a business minor, I was also able to bring the business knowledge that I have learned at American University to work on eventual aired topics and programming. I actually pitched and wrote some captivating news stories on a variety of business topics. Watch a story Tinari pitched and helped research that aired on FBN

On the production side, I was able to cut, edit, and plug-in video elements in the iNews rundown using Dalet. I assisted reporters, producers and editors on news and editorial decisions. The most interesting part of the program was being able to shadow different editors, producers and reporters on assignment. This gave me the best vision of what it is really like to work at a major news agency.

Importantly, I eventually understood that the assignment desk is the center of the newsroom, always carrying the weight of the remainder of the agency on its shoulders. The assignment editors are the individuals responsible for finding and organizing the news of the day, while always staying on top of breaking stories and anticipating the ever changing story lines.

The FOX internship program as a whole focused on a variety of professional development opportunities. FOX presented a diversity of panels, discussions, presentations, networking events and training that were geared to advancing my knowledge of the industry.

With my internship coming to an end, my experience has been nothing short of enriching and a truly once in a lifetime opportunity. I am looking forward to applying the knowledge that I gained at the Fox Business Network to my future studies and experiences in the broadcast news industry.

Olivia Tinari is a senior studying Broadcast Journalism and Business & Entertainment, while enrolled in the combined BA/MA program in Political Communication. During her time at AU, Olivia served as a SOC Ambassador and an AU Student Ambassador where she shared experiences and insights with prospective students. As a sorority member of Delta Gamma, she fulfilled the duties of Director of Scholarship and Director of Primary Recruitment. Olivia also served as the Undergraduate President of the School of Communication’s Class Council where she advocated for students while establishing programming of interest. As news anchor at American University Television (ATV), Olivia provided reports for ATV news and its online properties. Notably, Olivia has gained government and private industry experience serving as an intern in the White House last year and as a College Associate at the Assignment Desk for the Fox Business Network in the NYC and DC Bureau this past summer. Olivia will be continuing with the Fox Business Network at the Assignment Desk in the DC Bureau this fall. Visit her website or LinkedIn profile.