TNF Intern Still Just Not Getting It
Megan O’Donoghue, an intern working for Tampa News Force (TNF) from the University of Tampa communications department who struggled last week with creating a headline for a TNF article just doesn’t seem to be grasping how to do her job.
“Once again I’m getting screamed at and having things thrown at me,” she said, describing a recent interaction with Clark Brooks, the organization’s Senior Supreme Executive Premium Content Editor. “This time it was an ashtray and he doesn’t even smoke.”
“That there’s my throwin’ ashtray,” said Brooks.
O’Donoghue was tasked with coming up with a headline for an article about the latest Florida bill that will become a non-enforceable law as well as another sad attempt to pander to the easily pander-able from Governor Ron DeSantis, HB3, which would somehow seek to ban children from social media. The bill does not name what platforms will be affected by the legislation, but identifies criteria for social media platforms, including the ability for users to view others’ content or activity, personalized algorithms and “addictive features,” like “infinite scrolling” and push notifications.
“I thought a straightforward headline that says exactly what is happening would be effective because the whole thing is just so nonsensical and yet another obvious, transparent attempt by DeSantis to curry favor from simpletons by making up a culture war battle,” she said. “That’s when Mr. Brooks took out his red pen and started slashing out my work, saying, ‘not absurd enough’. I said, ‘it seems pretty absurd to me’ and that’s when he put a red mark across my forehead.”
“Why does he have to use a Sharpie?”, she wondered.
O’Donoghue said she’s starting to get discouraged.
“I don’t think I’m going to make it here,” she said. “I tried to talk it through with him but he just replied by pressing buttons on this little toy that makes fart noises and by repeating what I would say in this exaggerated dumb voice that doesn’t sound like me at all.”
“Megan is doing an outstanding job. We couldn’t be happier with her performance so far,” said Brooks. “I can’t wait to pass along my feedback to her professors.”
