By Sarah Barchus
As a scuba diver sharing my experience as a media intern for the Bonnier Dive Group, I thought it appropriate to detail my days in a format divers can relate to: the dive log. So, from here on out let me be (dive) brief.
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Dive No.: Week One (Five dives)
Location: Sport Diver and Scuba Diving magazines, Bonnier offices in Winter Park, FL
Time In: 8 am
Time Out: 5 pm
Bottom time: About 40 hours
Depth: Not too far over my head
Starting Air Pressure: High: Excited breathing
Ending Air Pressure: Ambient: Breathing it all in
Exposure Protection:
˙ Business Casual
˙ Thinking cap
˙ Self-confidence
Weight: Healthy workload kept me busy
Temperature:
Air: Beautiful Florida
On the surface: I’m cool, calm, and collected
Bottom line: I received a warm welcome
Conditions:
˙ Fresh water (Florida rain)
˙ Salt water (Florida’s a bit warmer than Wisconsin)
˙ Water cooler (All the good gossip— just kidding!)
˙ Shore (Stayed on land)
˙ Boat (I’m on board with the internship)
˙ Waves (Haven’t created any yet!)
Visibility: Sneak peek at the world of magazine publishing, accessed through the
backdoor of Sport Diver and Scuba Diving magazines
Comments:
After exploring the site the weekend before starting my internship (Winter Park,
Florida, has a charming historical district teeming with tasty stops, trendy shops,
and several green spaces to park oneself), I was eager to dive in. And so with a
deep breath (full disclosure—I may have broken the No. 1 rule of diving and held
my breath), I made my giant-stride entrance through Bonnier Corporation’s doors.
Although they were made of glass, what lay ahead of me was a little unclear. What
would my profile be? Silent shadow? Coffee collector?
But from the start, the table was turned on those stereotypical intern images. Just
like the BBQ I enjoyed with the some of the Dive Group members at senior editor
Patricia Wuest’s house the evening before, I discovered that my time would be
stuffed with experiences I would savor.
This week I sampled some of the steps of the magazine process. Navigating some
cubicle coral, I was corralled into a few meetings — the Monday debriefing, a special
issue spread planning, and a digital discussion regarding how to improve Sport
Diver’s online presence — and I fact-checked and edited some articles, posted
content to the website and Facebook, observed set-up for a photo shoot, and even
wrote a short front-of-the-book piece for Sport Diver. Talking shop, I’d have to give
my experience a PADI (Perfect Adventure of a Dive Internship) five-star rating so
far. With the help of experienced guides like Patricia and managing editor Rebecca
Strauss, creative minds like art director Elizabeth Fleener, and the ever-essential
technical crew, I am confident, and I can’t wait to continue my excursion.
Here’s one of my Facebook posts for Sport Diver:
