My name is Juliet Morrison. I am a U2 student pursuing an Honours Degree in Political Science with a minor in GSFS. This summer, I was able to hone my journalism experience working with Inter Press Service (IPS), an international news agency, at its United Nations Bureau.
When I began my internship search last fall, I focused mainly on positions that would expose me to new challenges. I was particularly interested in opportunities in journalism as I had already made a start at The McGill Tribune and wanted to explore it as a career. After an extended period of remote learning, I was also looking for a dynamic environment where I could expand my skill set and gain hands-on experience.
I found all of that and more with IPS. The news agency, which was founded in 1965, focuses on analytical reporting about global issues. IPS prides itself on being an outlet that uplifts vulnerable voices across the world. It was originally created to improve communication flows between the Global South and the Global North, and as such, has always provided comprehensive coverage of the UN. As a student interested in issues of inequality and global governance, I was immediately drawn to its mission.
Throughout my internship, I wrote articles for the IPS website. My stories were mainly features, but I also covered UN conferences and wrote about the launch of relevant UN reports. My work for IPS expanded once I got to New York during the second half of the summer. I was able to attend UN press events, including briefings by senior UN personnel and media stakeouts outside the Security Council chamber.
When writing features, I intentionally chose not to write about the same subject more than once. This meant that every two weeks I had to delve into unfamiliar topics. While finding a fresh angle was sometimes harder than I’d anticipated, I learned more with this approach. I took on subjects like South Africa’s unemployment crisis, struggles around prioritizing refugee mental health, and abortion support groups in New Brunswick.
There were also some growing pains. Upon starting, I realized I had underestimated the difference between reporting on campus and reporting on global issues. Since I was used to churning out pieces on top of school and work, I thought having more time for news gathering would make compiling pieces easier. But this is much more straightforward to do when you are familiar with the context around an issue, and already have a pre-established relationship with sources.
Given that the first half of my internship was remote, I had to figure out the hurdles around news gathering mostly on my own. But, overcoming them has made me a stronger reporter and writer. Being a journalist requires persistence, resilience, and a strong work ethic. Encountering struggles whilst news gathering is just part of the work.
When each piece got published, I tried to reflect on what went well and what did not. From there, I tried different ways of working and writing. I also learned the valuable lesson of knowing when to keep going after the story and when to just drop it.
The highlight of my experience was getting to (temporarily) be a member of the UN press corps. It was initially intimidating to be in a room with such seasoned journalists. All were immensely articulate, and most had been in the field long before I was born (as war reporters no less). Eventually, I grew more comfortable. During my second week, I asked a question at the daily briefing. Though small, it felt like a big step.
It was also exciting to be directly exposed to the themes I have been studying at McGill. While most of my features had focused on economic and social issues, the daily briefing covered nuclear threats, peacekeeping missions, and humanitarian aid. One of the most memorable moments came when the UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator briefed us on the Black Sea Grain Initiative. I had followed the issue of ships being unable to get Ukrainian grain out of the Black Sea for months, so it was thrilling to hear him speak about it in the briefing room.
My experience with IPS has taught me a lot. Heading back to McGill, I’m more excited about my studies and more confident about pursuing my role as News Editor at the Tribune. Through my internship, I have also gained clarity about what I want to pursue in the future and how journalism fits into my overall goals.
I am immensely grateful to my donors Gregg Blachford and David McGillivray who have provided financial assistance through the Gregg Blachford and David McGillivray Internship Award. Their generous support made it possible for me to pursue this experience
