Session: Whither Magazines? A Look at the Future Verdict: Keith Bellows Popped My Session CherryBy Ashley Roth, Photo Editor

This is my first time at the National College Media Convention and I wasn’t sure what to expect. The first session I decided to attend was Whither Magazines? A Look at the Future hosted by Keith Bellows from National Geographic Traveler.

As a photographer, I am extremely interested in pursuing a career in the magazine industry, but the fact that magazine readership is declining has always been something in the back of mind. But Bellows assured me that magazines aren’t dead and this is, in fact one of the most exciting times to be involved in journalism because of all the synergy between different mediums. The end of the session was what I found the most interesting. Bellows discussed the four things a student needs to do to succeed as an intern for a magazine:

Be smart – know everything there is to know about the publication you are working for.

Do anything- do not turn down any assignment and be willing to do anything thrown your way.

Stay after hours – What other way to show you are dedicated?

Be nosy- Bellows said the worst thing an intern can do is sit around and wait to be told what to do.

The most reassuring thing he said was that grades don’t matter. This made me smile. I’m not embarrassed to say that I am an awful student. My grades suck. I can’t even get paid working for my college publication because my GPA isn’t high enough. I’m glad this won’t affect me getting an internship.