In the Business of Good Journalism W&L’s Reynolds Journalism Internship Program places students in newsrooms across the country, where they become fully immersed in the life of a journalist for 12 weeks.

By Emily Innes Stanley
August 8, 2025

“At W&L, we’re able to know our classmates in a tight-knit environment, get a lot of feedback and experience and have funding earmarked for summer opportunities. I can’t imagine another school where I’d be able to do all of that.”

~ Josh Darrow ’26

Each summer, a cohort of Washington and Lee University students descends upon newsrooms across the country, eager to put their business journalism curriculum to the test with internships made possible by a grant from the Donald W. Reynolds Foundation. This year, six W&L students are participating in the Reynolds Journalism Internship Program, spending 12 weeks learning the ins and outs of a newsroom.

Four of the six students are working for American City Business Journals (ACBJ), which publishes in 43 markets across the country — either digitally, in print or both. They offer a unique opportunity for students to gain valuable experience covering important and timely topics affecting U.S. cities. Alecia Swasy, the Donald W. Reynolds Professor of Business Journalism at W&L, serves as the faculty adviser for the university’s Reynolds internship program, and says that interning with various ACBJ publications allows students to become fully immersed in the life of a newsroom due to the journals’ more local focus.

“The students are writing stories on day one, and some of them will end up writing 70 stories in 12 weeks,” Swasy said. “They are covering beats, they’re thrown in on big stories, and, in some cases, they’re covering breaking news. And when they return, they are more confident and more likely to become engaged with student journalism opportunities on campus, in addition to their classes.”

Alejandra Pacheco ’26 is interning with the Houston Business Journal, and the experience has broadened her understanding of business journalism by introducing her to the creativity and collaboration on which the industry thrives. Her newsroom experience is helping her build upon the skills W&L equipped her with, and she appreciates the real-world opportunities to apply what she’s been learning in the classroom. Her internship has also reinforced her plans to pursue a career in business journalism, through which she can help others make sense of the world around them.

“I think education and access to information are some of the main pillars that contribute to a functional society,” said Pacheco, a journalism major. “Helping individuals stay informed gives them the ability to exercise the power of choice, a skill that I think is fundamental in today’s world.”

At the Washington Business Journal, Liz Trubeck ’26 says interns are treated like staff, making it easier to break into the routine of the newsroom. Trubeck contributes coverage on a range of topics, including local business news, real estate, higher education, emerging technologies and legal disputes, and as of the end of July, she had published approximately 25 stories. A business journalism major, she is confident that the on-the-ground training provided by the Reynolds internship will help her navigate a career in the field after graduation.

“This summer, I discovered a genuine passion for print reporting and the impact that comes from deeply sourced, well-crafted journalism,” Trubeck said. “From the research and writing to long-form storytelling, this experience not only expanded my skill set, but also helped me clarify my long-term goals. As I head into my final year at W&L, I know I will return with a clearer sense of direction and drive.”

Josh Darrow ’26, interning with the Milwaukee Business Journal, has also been pleasantly surprised by the scope of assignments he has taken on as an intern. He hopes this is the start of a long career in business journalism.

“This internship is the real deal,” said Darrow, who is an economics major with minors in mathematics and journalism. “My daily stories and briefs are now getting mixed in with more in-depth executive profiles, data reporting and a cover story. I’m on general assignments for the paper with a broad focus on retail and commercial real estate, but I’ve done stories about manufacturing, trade and culture, too. It’s a really great sampling of all the things reporters at business journals do.”

Darrow credits W&L’s journalism program for his internship readiness. With writing-intensive classes and supportive faculty, he felt prepared to navigate the newsroom and take on any task the Milwaukee Business Journal assigned. He believes that the emphasis on a liberal arts education allows W&L’s journalism program to stand out among other undergraduate institutions.

“At W&L, we’re able to know our classmates in a tight-knit environment, get a lot of feedback and experience and have funding earmarked for summer opportunities,” Darrow said. “I can’t imagine another school where I’d be able to do all of that.”

Laying the Groundwork

W&L’s journalism program is one of the only accredited programs among liberal arts colleges in the U.S., allowing students to receive expert training in the subject while also receiving a well-rounded liberal arts education. In 2002, a grant from the Donald W. Reynolds Foundation created an endowed chair for business journalism. The new business journalism program bridged the university’s Department of Journalism and Mass Communications and undergraduate Williams School of Commerce, Economics and Politics, building upon W&L’s strong liberal arts tradition and emphasis on interdisciplinary learning. Students in the program must take classes in economics and accounting in addition to their journalism curriculum, which helps them enter the workforce ready to understand the workings of corporate America.

The interdisciplinary approach of the business journalism program aligned perfectly with Trubeck’s academic and career aspirations, and she’s enjoyed being able to tailor her studies to her interests, while also completing foundational classes in accounting and economics. She was particularly drawn to the program’s emphasis on business news writing and enjoyed how the Beat Reporting class was designed to resemble a small newsroom rather than a typical college seminar. In this class, she was able to practice pitching, editing and writing original stories on tight deadlines, as well as gain experience finding leads, conducting interviews and working with editors on digital stories and broadcast packages.

“W&L’s business journalism program stands out because it combines rigorous academic training with real-world application,” Trubeck said. “Applying for the Reynolds internship felt like a natural extension of my academic path and a unique opportunity to immerse myself in the kind of reporting I had been preparing for in the classroom. By already having a strong sense of the newsroom environment and how to conduct myself within it, I was confident in my ability to produce quality content in a timely manner, allowing me to hit the ground running and secure my own byline on only the second day of my internship.”

Swasy credits W&L’s in-depth liberal arts education with making the university’s journalism program stand out among schools’ programs. With writing-intensive classes and immersive hands-on learning, W&L’s journalism program lays an important foundation for students that prepares them to enter the newsroom. In addition, the department’s faculty includes a mix of former professional journalists and individuals with doctorates, exposing students to a range of journalistic methods and interests.

“We’re a small program, but we pack a lot into the students’ four years, so they leave here ready to hit the workplace,” said Swasy, who received her doctorate at the University of Missouri in 2014 following a career as a reporter and editor at several publications.

Julianna Stephenson ’26 has also found Swasy’s unwavering belief in and advocacy for her students to be a hallmark of W&L’s business journalism program.

“Professor Swasy is what sets W&L’s business journalism program apart from other schools’ programs,” said Stephenson, a journalism major. “She has extensive knowledge from her time in the business journalism world, and there is no better way to learn than from one of the industry’s best reporters. Professor Swasy pushes us to be precise and detailed in reporting and to then transform what we learn into an article that is understandable for the general public.”

Stephenson is completing two internships this summer in her hometown of Roanoke, Virginia, producing broadcasts for WDBJ7 and writing business editorials for The Scout Guide. She has found the Reynolds internship program to be a valuable opportunity to explore whether journalism is the right fit, and she will return to campus with more confidence and a new appreciation for how W&L equips students to embark on career paths aligned with their passions.

“The journalism department has set me up to be successful in any area of journalism I wish to pursue, and I know that no matter what career path I choose, I have many professors in Lexington who are cheering me on and helping me reach my full potential,” Stephenson said.

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