This content series shines a light on some of the FFA members and alumni who propel national convention forward, and offers an inside look at their responsibilities during the week.
Tens of thousands of people are flooding the streets of Indianapolis this week, and countless others are hearing about national convention via radio and TV stations as well as broadcasted livestreams.
Meanwhile, there is a small group helping behind the scenes to share emerging stories from the week: National FFA staff members, contracted media groups and college students.
Telling the FFA Story
Eleven convention newsroom interns, some of whom are FFA alumni, have spent their week collecting story ideas, writing articles, broadcasting media interviews and capturing photos to share the impact of these four days in Indianapolis. One of these interns is Lydia Johnson, an agricultural communications student at Iowa State University, who returned for her third consecutive year as a newsroom intern.
“There are 70,000 members here, but almost 950,000 FFA members across the country,” Johnson says. “Most don’t get to come to Indianapolis, so our job is to share their stories so the people who aren’t in Indianapolis can still experience national convention.”
These interns closely follow each general session, interview national award winners and nationally recognized keynote speakers and capture stories in the Expo Hall. In addition to working with some of the best professionals in the industry, interns share a press box with well-known partner media organizations like the National Association of Farm Broadcasting (NAFB), Pence Media Group, Successful Farming and RFD-TV.
“I’m really grateful to learn from the whole FFA team, NAFB members and the Successful Farming team who all work together here,” Johnson adds.
Opportunities for Everyone
Interns hard at work in the Lucas Oil Stadium press box.
Interning on the media team is open to all students, including those pursuing degrees outside of agricultural communications. For example, Hannah Whetstone, a Kansas State University sports broadcasting major, applied for the internship after receiving some encouragement from her academic advisor.
“I knew this position would be a really good fit for me, but I didn’t know if I was going to get it,” Whetstone says. “The first step is applying, because you never know what could happen.”
For those interested in serving as a national convention newsroom intern next year, the application period opens in June or July. Johnson encourages those who land the job to, “go into the week with an open mind, tell stories to the best of your ability and know it will be a really great week.”
This year’s national convention interns include:
Radio Reporters
- John Ching, Drake University
- Hannah Whetstone, Kansas State University
- Lydia Johnson, Iowa State University
- Michelle Stangler, University of Wisconsin-River Falls
Editorial Reporters
- Taleen Hanna, Mercer University
- Adrian Schunk, recruiter at HOPE International
Inside Convention Reporters
- Drew Cosgray, DePauw University
- Mae Crosby, DePauw University
- Anna-Cater Meyer, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
- Lacey Reeves, University of Missouri
- Elizabeth Richwine, Louisiana State University
