Exploring the Media Landscape Lily Mott '23 is interning this summer at News Over Audio in Dublin, Ireland, where she is finding fulfillment at the intersection of politics and journalism.

By Lindsey Nair
July 11, 2022

“I chose to study politics and journalism because of the complex and important intersection between the media and government, particularly in today’s political landscape. The government and the media both play a role in public service, and they each rely on one another to educate, inform and lead a country.”

~ Lily Mott ’23

Lily Mott ’23
Hometown: Evergreen, Colorado
Majors: Journalism and Politics

Q: What factors led you to choose W&L?

I chose Washington and Lee because of the political diversity of the students, faculty and staff, as well as of the greater Lexington community. Attending W&L offered the opportunity to challenge my biases by meeting and having meaningful conversations with people from different parts of the country and with different backgrounds from mine. I also knew that I was interested in pursuing a career in multimedia journalism, and W&L’s Department of Journalism and Mass Communications offered far more opportunities in audio and broadcast journalism than any other school I visited.

Q: Why did you choose to study journalism and politics?

I chose to study politics and journalism because of the complex and important intersection between the media and government, particularly in today’s political landscape. The government and the media both play a role in public service, and they each rely on one another to educate, inform and lead a country. I am hoping to pursue a career in political journalism, so the combination of both majors presented the perfect opportunity for me to explore my interest in both subjects.

Q: You’re spending the summer working as an editorial intern at News Over Audio (NOA) in Dublin, Ireland. How did you find out about this opportunity? Did anyone at W&L help?

This is my second summer working at News Over Audio, but it is my first in-person summer in Dublin. I first found out about this opportunity during my internship search for the summer of 2021. I am interested in international journalism and exploring the media landscape in other countries, so I reached out to the Center for International Education at W&L for help. They connected me with international internship experiences, and I was offered an internship position at News Over Audio. Due to coronavirus restrictions, I worked at NOA remotely in 2021, but the Department of Journalism and Mass Communications supported me with a grant to intern in person in Dublin this summer. I received funding from the Edward Jackson International Reporting Fund with the support of the department’s internship coordinator, Stacey Kao.

Q: What is NOA and what kind of work are you doing there?

News Over Audio is an audio journalism company with the goal of providing multiple perspectives on trending news topics through a curation process where NOA’s editors hand-pick articles from the world’s leading publications, including The Washington Post, The New York Times, The Economist, Bloomberg and others. NOA’s team of narrators then record the articles so subscribers can listen to them word-for-word on the NOA app anytime, anywhere.

I am working as an editorial intern at NOA and am directly involved in the article curation process every day. I work with NOA’s editors to find articles, write editorial content and prepare the articles to be published on the app. This summer, I have also been working on growing the company’s social media presence and expanding our audience to reach university students around the world.

Q: What do you like most about it, and what has been most challenging so far?

My favorite part about interning at NOA has been how hands-on and involved I am in the editorial process. The team at NOA allows me to prepare articles on our Content Management System, and then I click “publish” and can see my work on the app soon after. In other internship positions, I was assigned side tasks or “busy work” rather than being directly involved in content production, like I am at NOA.

The most challenging part of my internship this summer has been trying to improve NOA’s presence on social media. I have been working on content for different platforms, like Instagram and LinkedIn, to expand NOA’s audience, both on social media and on the NOA app.

Q: Tell us about previous summer experiences you’ve had at W&L.

In my first summer at W&L, I served as a communications intern for Congressman Joseph Neguse (D-CO) in Washington, D.C. There were Black Lives Matter protests throughout the city that summer, and my experience protesting led me to create a podcast called “Be the change.” I have been running the podcast for the past two years.

During summer 2021, I interned remotely for News Over Audio. When I found out I couldn’t intern in person, I applied last-minute to a job at a company called Ocean Atlantic Rentals in the Outer Banks of North Carolina. I spent the summer interning for NOA in the morning and then working at a bike shop on the beach in the afternoons. It was a great experience to live at the beach in another part of the U.S. because I met people from all over the country.

Q: How do you think your current summer experience – and others you’ve had in the past – will impact your future career path?

My experience at NOA this summer further convinced me that I want to pursue a career in international journalism, particularly in audio or broadcast. I had the opportunity to study abroad at the University of Oxford for my junior year before moving to Dublin, and those experiences both confirmed my interest in learning, living and working abroad. In the past year, I have met people from all around the world who come from different cultures, speak different languages and come from vastly different backgrounds from my own, and I have learned so much from them. I would like to go to graduate school in the United Kingdom or Ireland and then pursue a career in international journalism.

Q: Outside of your internship, how are you enjoying the lovely city of Dublin?

I love the city of Dublin! It is a beautiful place to live, and even on days that it’s been pouring rain, my walk to the office every morning is the best way to get started with the day. I have really enjoyed walking along the River Liffey and seeing all of the boats along the river, especially toward the Dublin Bay. My favorite memory from being in Dublin so far was attending the Dublin Pride Festival on June 25. It was the first Pride Festival in three years due to pandemic restrictions, so the event was even bigger than in the past. Thousands of people participated in the parade through the streets of Dublin, and there were so many fun decorations, floats and costumes!

Q: What do you miss most about W&L when you’re away for the summer?

I have definitely missed my friends and professors the most during my time away from W&L. Since I studied abroad for a year, I haven’t been on campus since the end of my sophomore year. I am looking forward to heading back to campus in September for picnics on the Colonnade and study-break walks on the Chessie Trail.

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