Ashley Alexander is a rising senior at Elon University. This summer she joins the Alliance communications team as an intern. Get to know our newest teammate and keep an eye out for her byline this summer.
1. What got you interested in the media?
My interest in the media has been developed more recently. Once I started school at Elon University, I realized the importance and necessity of keeping a finger on the pulse of what is happening in the world. I explored the ways to engage with news media through platforms I was comfortable with. Media, in general, is essentially what interconnects every society through a few platforms. From there, I realized that the social media platforms my peers and I were so avidly using to keep up with one another could also be used to share messages, create brands, etc. From there, I wanted to know what made certain media successful over others as well as observe their ability to evolve and morph according to the demands and needs of their audiences.
2. With your summer at the Alliance, what do you hope to learn?
First, I want to see the many different aspects of a communications team within an organization. I hope I can experience or observe a little of each type of project the Alliance Communications Team works on. I would love to see the entire process of brainstorming turned to actual content. In addition, I expect and hope to learn many things I have not even thought of in regards to working with an organization such as the Alliance.
3. What is your favorite thing you’ve written?
I’ve always enjoyed more creative writing tasks, but recently I was assigned to work on a request for proposal for a class. The assignment was to form a proposal for the Russian government with suggestions for increasing tourism in their nation. With a team, we built this proposal from absolutely nothing and ended up with a document full of strategies, objectives, tactics, etc. that were feasible and could potentially work. The writing was difficult, but it was incredible to see this project come together into a professional document we were all proud of.
4. What’s your dream job?
My dream job would be to work on the communications team for a nonprofit that I am passionate about. In addition to my communications classes, I’ve studied many social justice topics during school. This has helped me realize that I really would like to work for something I care about, but in the capacity I can be best used; through communications.
5. Where do you see the future of news media?
News media has been extremely consistent in my life, as it has for many people. It’s interesting to see its evolution, especially where it is at currently. It seems like a constant battle between all news sources, with no real winners. I don’t know if news media will return to how it used to be, but I don’t see news media ever going away. It is crucial to the function of society.
Contributing writer
