But the news of the day and the updated details of the tragedy had to be delivered to the American public in some manner. And that manner was a form of business--media business. It was the job of the producers, anchors, personalities and commentators to report the Concorde crash, as it was their duty to educate the American public about Cheney's Congressional voting record, the environmental efforts being made by Ford Motor Industries and the failed Camp David talks. Whereas outsiders to the industry interpret news as a mere presentation of information, insiders depend on tragedies, celebrations and surprises for basic levels of subsistence. Insiders are not at the liberty to view events with an emotional, sympathetic eye.

The assumed purpose of an internship is to experiment working within a professional field. From the vantage point of a relatively naive 20-year-old, I only know what I dreaded to be part of my future profession, namely boredom, fatigue and monotony. I have long wanted to pursue a career in journalism in part because the industry was constantly changing and moving forward yet at the same time able to balance itself by looking to the past.

After my experience this summer, I better understand what I dread about the working world: Even if the work is glamorously unrepetitive, it is still unappealingly impersonal. Media work converts one's success into dollar signs and another's loss into high ratings--it takes the drama and glitz away from the changes and events that should spark our sentiments and emotions. The media plays an important, integral role in our society, no doubt. But the toll that it takes on those who micromanage the industry may be too much for me to bear.

Jordana R. Lewis '02, a Crimson executive, is a history and literature concentrator in Eliot House.