Christina Zawerucha
Intern, Summer ‘05 SUNY-Binghamton Class of 2006

The vast amount of information, imagery, and energy in the pages of The Indypendent may seem effortlessly professional to its readers, but only somebody who experiences an Indypendent internship can truly appreciate the paper for what it is: a collaborative, bottom-up, shoe-string, participatory, back-breaking labor of love that is transforming the consciousness of this city with every issue it prints.

I was a triple major in Economics, Environmental Science, and Political Science, an activist of all trades who knew that the world needed changing, but did not know the role I best fit into in the greater movement for societal change. At the time I was a well-intentioned but under skilled amateur writer and editor of a social justice ‘zine.

As an intern with The Indy, the staff incorporated me fully into every aspect of creating the newspaper, providing me with genuine individualized attention, support, and opportunities to grow as a writer and activist. I became involved in everything, from the logistics of distribution, the intricacies of investigative research, developing ideas for stories, managing the projects of multiple contributors, fundraising, layout editing, and even acting as the editor of one issue focusing on food, equity, and environmental sustainability.

Beyond the skills, however, what has stuck with me the most about interning with the Indypendent was the genuine courage, care and support that collaborators had for each other and the goals we shared. Regardless of how little I knew, talented contributors were willing to help me in whatever way they could.

I have interned and worked for many “prestigious” organizations, but I will tell you that no other work experience compares with the pride I felt seeing my words first published in a print newspaper other than my own, or those late nights excitedly discussing new ideas and editing articles.

I’ll never forget Ruth, the adopted grandmother who shared her cookies and wisdom from her experience as a female journalist who fought inequalities in pay for women and people of color in the 1970s. What other internship will leave you with the memories of yoga on rooftops, guerrilla theater, mermaid parades, Critical Mass, potluck dinners or sleeping under the moon?

I returned to Binghamton with many skills that would improve my social justice ‘zine, but more importantly, I left the Indypendent with a renewed spirit of hope and cooperation. I realized my role, not as a journalist, but as an activist and a human being, in the greater fight for social justice.

This past year, I brought 65 immigrant teens at Bronx International High school together through an innovative participatory “Struggle to be Strong “ Community interviewing project. Students interviewed people in their families and their communities about the struggles they have overcome with immigration, domestic violence, war, and racism. The students empowered themselves by self-publishing an of their struggles to be strong. That is what Independent media is all about - raising our voices together and demanding to be heard.

Alex Nathanson
Bard College at Simon’s Rock Class of ‘o8

Interning at the Indy was an extremely rewarding experience for a number of reasons. Working with a group of smart and dedicated journalists and activists gave me an opportunity to learn about all the aspects of a newspaper from shooting stories to production and even distribution. As an intern you feel like you’re part of a community and your work is appreciated. I haven’t heard of any other internships that allow for as much real work. While most of my friends were off getting coffee for their bosses I was busy shooting stories and gaining valuable knowledge about current events and activism throughout the city and beyond.

The diversity within the paper gave me the opportunity to cover a wide range of stories as both a reporter and a photographer. Researching and attending these various events enriched my understanding of New York’s numerous and dynamic activist movements. I also discovered the ways in which New York Indypendent Media’s multi-layered relationship to these organizations furthered their individual causes. Interning with New York Indymedia opened my eyes to multiple struggles and movements that I had not previously been aware of.

My time spent with NYCIM gave me the opportunity to; better understand grassroots news papers, enhance my journalism skills, and discover and work with one of the largest activist communities in the world.

The never-ending support and dedication that I found within the Indy was both inspirational and intriguing. Through their will and determination, the staff instilled in me a sense of hope for the future of social change and the possibilities it offers.

I have recently graduated from UCSC and am beginning to work with Santa Cruz Indymedia.

When I first moved to New York City four years ago with vague plans of studying journalism I had no idea how or where to begin. I enrolled in the media studies program at Hunter College, but frankly its overworked adjuncts and defunct student paper didn’t
offer me many opportunities to actually get out in the field and learn how to report, write, and publish.

I stumbled on The Indypendent by chance. I was planning to attend an immigrant rights march in Queens and someone at a party mentioned that it might be the kind of story The Indypendent would want. That was, really, the first article I ever published and I imagine the editorial team could tell, but despite my obvious inexperience they kept encouraging me to contribute. John Tarleton specifically spent many
hours talking with me about potential stories, guiding me through the reporting process, and helping me edit and rewrite my work.

But not only did The Indy nurture my interest in journalism and encourage me in ways that my huge commuter school never could, it also allowed me the opportunity to write about issues that mattered to me and produce the kind of investigative pieces that really honed my reporting skills and built my experience as a writer. When my journalism program insisted that I receive some of my degree credits from outside internships, I tried a few beyond The Indy. Though those internships were occasionally interesting, I was back at The Indy as soon as possible after a semester of updating links and writing about parking problems in Bay Ridge with other publications.

At The Indy I was writing about everything: labor movements in Bushwick, court cases in The Bronx, policing schools in Queens, and deportations in Brooklyn’s Little Pakistan. I learned new York City through The Indy, its neighborhoods, politics and people through the Indy. Over the past three years The Indy has taught me how to be a reporter in one of the most challenging and exciting cities in the world.

By the time I graduated I did so with a couple of awards as a direct result of my work with the Indy and more experience as a writer and reporter than most of my peers. I feel confident about the next step, which is a journalism project in Asia called The Common Language Project in part supported and sponsored by the Independent Media
Center (IMC).

I would encourage anyone interested in Independent media and in covering some of the best stories that New York City has to offer to become a contributor for The Indypendent. For people just learning the trade in New York City, there isn’t a better place to develop a love for journalism.

–Sarah Stuteville

Indypendent Intern in 2004 and 2005
Senior at Amherst College

Working with the Indy the summer of 2005 was as rewarding as the first time I volunteered with them, if not better. Being already familiar with the organization’s goals and structure, I was able to contribute more deeply and more immediately than previously and build on my previous contacts within the activism community and in New York City as a whole.

The Indypendent’s work environment constantly challenged me both intellectually and personally; at the same time as I gained marketable skills (how to lay out a newspaper, how to conduct research, how to edit) and interpersonal skills (how to talk to people, how to conduct oneself ethically in relationships) I was constantly evaluating my own position in the world and my thoughts/views/strategies for social change.

The cooperative, non-hierarchical structure of the newspaper gave me insight into working in groups, and resulted in my (and most other members) being involved in almost all aspects of the organization (writing, distribution, fundraising, event planning, financial and logistical issues, etc.). The makeup of the Indy is constantly changing, but the long-time staff are all of exceptional caliber, and I count them among my closest friends.

My function was primarily that of a journalist and photographer. The work I did was largely self-scheduled and often self-determined. I was literally on my feet all day, completing assignments in the city, running errands, etc. As a result I became extremely familiar with the structure of the city (both its physical and human structures) and learned to be responsible for myself and my time on both a professional and personal level.

My work with the Indy first tore up 90 percent of my beliefs and preconceptions about society and for the first time made me see clearly my place in the world. I have never before been forced to reevaluate myself so drastically and so constantly; have never known people this interesting, passionate, and engrossing and rarely have been this happy.

To a certain degree this experience restored my faith in journalism and the real possibilities we have for (and expectations we should have of) social change.

I would strongly recommend working on the Indy to anyone interested in media, whether community-based or corporate, and more broadly, to anyone questioning their options for making a difference.

Matthew Wasserman
Summer ‘04 intern with the Indypendent
Reed College Class of ‘07

Instead of doing menial tasks of doubtful importance on the orders of your boss, as an intern at the Indy
you play an integral part in producing and distributing a newspaper. I did everything from writing and researching articles to handing out papers in union square to helping with editing and proofreading till the break of dawn. The Indypendent is a product of the passion of its staff, a “free paper for free people” that is put together on little money in people’s free time, and working with them was and is a privilege.