How I Landed That: Charlie McGee
Journalism Internships is pleased to announce a new series on The Blog called “How I Landed That,” where we chat with students who have completed big-time internships around the country, and around the globe.
Kicking off our inaugural piece is Charlie McGee, a class of 2020 student at UNC-Chapel Hill. On campus, he’s the director of investigations at The Daily Tar Heel, UNC’s independent student newspaper. Charlie spent the summer of 2019 interning in New York at the Wall Street Journal.
Tell us about your time at the WSJ. What skills did you learn?
I was the Journal's corporate bureau intern. In that role, I wrote everything from feature pieces on CEO compensation and criticisms of the wood pellet energy industry, to deadline-driven stories on FedEx suing the Commerce Department and Colin Kaepernick-Nike controversy. I also appeared on two episodes of the "WSJ What's News" podcast to discuss stories I'd written. The experience sharpened every skill of mine that is necessary to being an effective journalist, and I attribute that to the Journal trusting me as an autonomous reporter from day one.
I learned how to more efficiently glean important information from company filings, financial statements and other dense documents that reveal things you won't find in a press release. I became more comfortable cold-calling anyone in a moment's notice, whether it's someone in the C-Suite of an S&P 500 company or a small-town resident across the country. Day-to-day experience as a member of the Journal's office made me more comfortable discussing my reporting in technical terms and translating that knowledge to print in a way readers can understand.
What prior internships/experiences prepared you for your time at WSJ?
My time running the N.C. Business News Wire website with Chris Roush, who started the business journalism program I now major in at UNC, gave me some incredibly useful experience to bring into the Journal's office, including the valuable data one can find in SEC filings and how to write on a strict deadline. I also wrote a feature piece for Vice News last year which entailed me driving to Lumberton, an impoverished town near the North Carolina coast, to cover the way residents were experiencing the immediate aftermath of Hurricane Florence.
“The experience sharpened every skill of mine that is necessary to being an effective journalist, and I attribute that to the Journal trusting me as an autonomous reporter from day one.”
Just as important in terms of prior experience, if not more, was the time I've spent working for The Daily Tar Heel since my freshman year. I was a writer for all academic years prior to this one (I'm an editor now and still write on occasion). I've been able to report investigative pieces with the DTH on entirely different subject matter than what I was covering at the Journal, including police and administration controversy surrounding protests of a campus Confederate monument, Silent Sam, and the questionable multi-month detainment of a local young man by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Work like this has made me comfortable figuring out the right questions to ask on sensitive stories, and not backing down from pressing anyone for the necessary answers.
For students interested in applying for an internship at The Journal, what advice do you have for them?
I would say all young journalists, student or not, should focus on getting as many clips as they can in a variety of areas to catch the attention of major newsrooms like the Journal. With those clips, you should punch above your weight class every time; seek out people or communities with a sensitive story to tell that isn't being told yet, follow the money, and don't be afraid to scrutinize anyone in your reporting.
I had an advantage going into my application of an elite journalism education and opportunities to do in-depth coverage for professional organizations. If you're a student in a similar position, maximize those opportunities. Write for your student paper, and get to know professors who have experience you'd like to learn more about. I can't imagine the Journal ever considering me without the DTH, or without the things I learned from people I now consider mentors like Chris Roush.If you're a young journalist who might not have those advantages, don't consider yourself out of the picture. Get involved with your local paper, seek out freelance opportunities, and contact any of your favorite journalists to ask for advice. My colleagues at the Journal were incredibly willing to help me in whatever way they could, and they'd likely be just as happy to help other young journalists who are willing to reach out to them.
“If you’re a student in a similar position, maximize those opportunities. Write for your student paper, and get to know professors who have experience you’d like to learn more about. ”
What's your dream job?
My dream is to be an investigative reporter at The Wall Street Journal, ProPublica or a variety of other organizations I view as top-level watchdogs for the public.
Applications for summer 2020 newsroom internships at The Wall Street Journal are now open. You can apply here.