From pixels to press: An NMH intern shares his first month in a newsroom

Starting a new career is rarely easy.

For Jonathan van Zyl, joining Network Media Hub (NMH) this January came with a mix of introverted nerves and a filmmaker’s ambition. Now, a month into his internship with MyZone, he is already proving that the shift from creative editing to journalism is a challenge worth taking.

The first week was daunting. Though he originally dreamed of a career in cinema, Jonathan pivoted to media to follow his passion for editing and animation.

"While we don’t make films here," he notes, "live media is the perfect training ground to perfect the art of bringing information to life."

At MyZone, Jonathan is a digital architect whose versatility spans social media ads, video editing and writing.

Navigating the unpredictable youth demographic keeps the work engaging.

"The biggest eye-opener," he says, "has been seeing the public's response to daily media and the sheer speed of our in-house production."

Working at NMH comes with a unique set of challenges, chiefly the "live" nature of the work.

Jonathan describes the environment as supportive yet high pressure, where content often needs to be captured, written, edited and published all within the same day.

Despite being a visual creator at heart, Jonathan had to quickly adapt to the world of words.

"Writing articles and journalism was a hurdle. Through help from my team and studying newspaper writing styles, I haven’t just survived, I’ve grown."

As he continues to develop the skills to become a versatile media professional, his advice to fellow interns is: "Keep your head high and remember that everyone is dealing with their own pressures. Ask for assistance when you need it, commit to self-study to improve your skills, and most importantly, don’t forget to have fun with it."