Philadelphia is the fourth largest media market in the country and is home to affiliates of major channels including NBC, CBS, Fox and ABC. Klein College of Media and Communication students often look to these outlets to get their feet wet in the television industry before leaving the nest.
Senior journalism major Alyssa Threadgill is one such Owl who is taking advantage of the rich media opportunities in Philadelphia through her internship as a multiplatform programming intern at 6abc. Since starting in June 2023, Threadgill has extended her internship through the spring semester.
The initial pursuit of obtaining internships was not easy for Threadgill, but she knows now that she found the fit that’s right for her.
When searching for internships before her senior year, Threadgill came across the application for 6abc. She hadn’t previously considered the station because it was a little further away from the city than other affiliates. But since she has spent recent semesters commuting to Temple University from Downingtown, she knew that her increased driving could open her up to more opportunities.
“Despite having a tremendous commute, she always showed up early with a positive attitude,” wrote Associate Professor Erin Coyle. Coyle taught Threadgill for two courses and has been a supporter of her applications for scholarships and internships.
As a multiplatform programming intern, Threadgill has explored the world of entertainment segments such as FYI Philly; a show about local restaurants, theaters, museums and other features of Philadelphia. In the fall, Threadgill worked on a show about Broadway on Broad Street at the Kimmel Cultural Campus.
In addition to her work at 6abc, Threadgill has pursued several freelance entertainment writing opportunities. She credits YR Media for the opportunity to attend her first press junket for the Amazon Prime show, With Love.
“It was a really good first taste of a potential regular career task,” Threadgill said, as she works toward her goal of being a red carpet correspondent.
Though she is no longer with YR Media, Threadgill has started writing for The Knockturnal and has conducted interviews with former Nickelodeon star Josh Peck and former Bachelor star Matt James.
While freelancing and interning at 6abc, Threadgill has also been involved with TUTV – Temple University Television and Her Campus since her freshman year.
“A lot of me finding my way at Temple was through trial and error,” Threadgill said.
Threadgill originally thought she wanted to do broadcast news but soon realized she was interested in entertainment. Through work at The Vibe and Temple Talk, Threadgill got the valuable experience that she is using in her internship at 6abc.
“I think it’s really important for other students to hear that people like Alyssa are at Klein,” said Threadgill’s friend Hannah Seewald, KLN ’23.
Not only did Threadgill have the confidence to try something off the path she thought she was on, but she kept applying for opportunities even after several rejections.
Seewald also noted Threadgill’s ability to help out with shows other than The Vibe and Temple Talk, such as Update Ahora. Despite Threadgill not being a native Spanish speaker, Seewald said that she had an innate respect for the culture and importance of Temple’s multiple bilingual news brief shows.
“Alyssa is conscientious and hard-working. She has a positive attitude, and she does great work with grace and humility,” wrote Coyle.