NCPR in Canton welcomes two new interns

CANTON – North Country Public Radio welcomes two interns from St. Lawrence University in Canton to join its newsroom and report on issues across the region.

Kelley Daphness, a senior, and Maya Mackey, a junior, will learn the basics of fair, fact-based public radio journalism during their spring semester, and then become full-time members of the newsroom for two months during the summer. Their internship is HYPERLINK "https://www.northcountrypublicradio.org/news/story/46671/20221004/ncpr-mcdonald-spring-summer-2023-journalism-fellowships-open"an annual program made possible by former SLU professor Stan McDonald. Former NCPR interns are now working at National Public Radio, CBS News, and other media outlets.

“Internships are a way for NCPR to contribute to journalism education in our region,” said NCPR News Director David Sommerstein. “But they also help our news team benefit from new ideas, perspectives, and energy. These interns become equals in pitching, writing, producing, and broadcasting stories that help tell the stories of the North Country. We’re thrilled with the seriousness of purpose these two women bring to their work.”

Daphness is a New York native, with roots in Queens, and Evans Mills in Jefferson County. She is majoring in anthropology. She has interned at K24 TV in Nairobi, Kenya, and has a background in gender and culture studies. She is interested in pursuing a career in television news.

Mackey is a North Country local, having grown up in Brushton in Franklin County. She is majoring in film and digital media production and minoring in performance and communication arts. She is a broadcast technician at Appleton Arena and a passionate SLU hockey fan.

Both Daphness and Mackey have already produced reporting that’s been featured on NCPR’s marquee regional news shows, Northern Light and Story of the Day.

"Paying it forward and helping encourage the next generation of journalists is a hugely important part of our mission,” said NCPR’s General Manager Mitch Teich. “All of us at NCPR had internships at some point that played a vital role in getting us where we are today, so I hope the experiences this great crew will have are positive and stay with them for years to come.”