Megan joins TV crew for presidential debate
Being in the right place at the right time earned University of the Sunshine Coast journalism student Megan Mackander an exciting media experience that will certainly stand out on her resume.
Megan, 20, worked as an intern with cable television news channel MSNBC during the first presidential debate between John McCain and Barack Obama at the University of Mississippi (UM) on 26 September.
The second-year student from Hervey Bay is currently studying at UM thanks to USC’s Global Opportunities program which enables students to spend a semester or two of their degree studying overseas.
Megan said it was exciting to mix with the 3,000 journalists who converged on the University of Mississippi for the debate that was held amid tight security.
Her chance to work with MSNBC arose after she enrolled in a class that incorporated a week-long internship with the university’s media relations team as it geared up for the presidential debate.
“I didn’t even know about the debate or the class before I came to the US, and was told about it by a staff member at the Study Abroad office,” she said.
“During my first few days with the media relations team, I handed out press packs, answered questions, directed the crews to where they needed to be and ensured everything was prepared for the arrival of the 3,000 journalists later that week,” she said. “We were on call 24 hours a day.
“On the day of the debate, I worked with MSNBC as an intern. I got coffees, made phone calls for staff, arranged meals, ran errands around campus, answered questions, got the live audience together by promoting the shows, and just observed.”
Megan said she was impressed by how quickly the journalists and technical crews worked in preparing broadcasts from the huge media tent adjacent the debate hall.
“MSNBC was broadcasting live from UM with four shows that day, with the last one at 11pm,” she said. “The show had a live audience as well and featured US and local politicians and experts.
“It was extremely exciting. There were journalists from all over the world in our little tiny town of Oxford.”
Megan said she was thrilled to have been involved in such a huge international event and delighted to have gained media experience that is not readily available in Australia.
“I can now put on my resume that I’ve done an internship with MSNBC in America … practical experience that most Sunshine Coast students cannot say they have.”
— Terry Walsh