Discovery, by its very nature, isn’t repeated. That first time you taste a new favorite food, hear a mind-blowing song or read (or write) a kick-butt story, it brings a feeling that’s euphoric, but tinged with sorrow that the unique rush of emotion is not coming back.
Take, for instance, that moment when Miranda Jeyaretnam first heard Khruangbin’s tune “Time (You and I).”
“My partner and I were in the car, with the impossible Singapore sun beating down on us through the windshield,” Miranda said. “The lyrics speak to my perennial nostalgia, and its Southeast Asian-influenced sound reminds me of home, especially since moving halfway across the world.”
Miranda is one of PublicSource’s spring 2024 interns, a quartet of young people loaded with skills and experiences, but for whom each story is still a new experience. You’re already seeing their contributions to our coverage through fact-checking, photography and the advertising on our site and in our newsletters. Look out for coming stories.
Here are the details on our team’s newest members:
Read more: Binge what the PublicSource interns are bingeing — and then watch them change Pittsburgh journalism
Delaney Rauscher Adams, an editorial intern, would relive that first listen to Ethel Cain’s wrenching “A House in Nebraska.” She’s getting her initial immersion in news writing, covering a high-profile labor case and more, after serving as an opinions columnist at The Pitt News in this, her junior year.
- Hails from: Media, Pa.
- College: University of Pittsburgh
- Area(s) of study: Public and professional writing
- Other extracurriculars: Vice president of an a cappella group, Ethics and Debate Club
- Other journalism experience: Interned at Sampsonia Way
- Pleasures (guilty or otherwise): Reality TV, reading and rom-coms
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Pamela Smith, the photojournalism intern, is the managing editor at The Pitt News during her senior year. A photographer with writing chops, she previously served there as visuals editor. The crunchy-but-also-orchestral song “Wonder” by Wand was a revelation she’d experience anew as she’s getting training in document-and-data-driven journalism at PublicSource.
- Hails from: New Jersey
- College: University of Pittsburgh
- Area(s) of study: English nonfiction writing and history/philosophy of science
- Other extracurriculars: Photography Club
- Other journalism experience: Interned with the Pittsburgh City Paper, does freelance photography
- Pleasures (guilty or otherwise): Playing the violin, reading, writing and watching hockey (go Devils!)
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Alina McMahon, alone among PublicSource interns, has been here before. In her junior year, she’s in her second stint as the advertising and business partnerships intern, so it doesn’t have quite the sizzle as her first listen to SZA’s scorching “F2F.”
- Hails from: Richmond, Virginia
- College: University of Pittsburgh
- Area(s) of study: Marketing, film and media studies
- Other extracurriculars: Vice president of consulting for Pitt’s American Marketing Association, marketing and outreach coordinator for Collab Arts
- Other communications experience: Interned at GH Advertising and Responsival
- Pleasures (guilty or otherwise): The TV show “Shameless,” which she has watched all the way through three times
Read more: Pitt and CMU have grown wealthier through private, offshore investments. We followed the money.
Miranda Jeyaretnam brings the irrepressible-but-nostalgic vibe of “Time (You and I)” to the public safety beat as an editorial intern. Just graduated, she served as university editor, opinion editor and a reporter at the Yale Daily News. A close second to Khruangbin’s hit: She’d love to bring fresh ears to the “Larry” episode of the “Heavyweight” podcast.
- Hails from: Singapore
- College: Yale University
- Area(s) of study: English language and literature
- Other extracurriculars: Published longform article in The New Journal
- Other journalism experience: Interned as breaking news and public safety reporter at The Indianapolis Star
- Pleasures (guilty or otherwise): Reading and writing, with a particular interest in ecocriticism, post-colonial literature and queer writing, plus baking, lifting and maintaining her NYT crossword streak
Checking facts, assembling info, writing stories, creating visuals, deepening business partnerships — none are guaranteed to rival “Wonder” for richness or “A House in Nebraska” for emotional depth. (And forget about matching “F2F.”) But no two days in journalism are the same, and discovery is at the root of the reporting process. While each member of the intern team explores Pittsburgh, we hope they’ll bring you insights that you won’t be able to get out of your head.
Photos by Stephanie Strasburg.
Rich Lord is PublicSource’s managing editor, and can be reached at rich@publicsource.org.
