One-on-one discussions with professors about policy issues gave me confidence to have similar conversations with policy experts or members of Congress.
—Anja Crowder ’13

Last year political science and international studies major Anja Crowder ’13 (St. Paul) landed her dream job as production coordinator for This Week with George Stephanopoulos. Anna Pickrell ’14 recently interviewed Crowder via email.

How did you end up at ABC?

I started working at ABC a year ago. At the beginning of my senior year I made a list of the fields I was interested in working in. Political journalism was on the top of that list. During winter break of my senior year I met with a talent coordinator at ABC News in New York who worked for Katie Couric. The meeting went well and he offered me a summer internship, but [it turned out] I wasn’t eligible for it because I wouldn’t be enrolled in school at the time. I was sad, but it motivated me to interview with other departments at ABC. I had five more interviews at the network and landed a dream job as a production coordinator for the Sunday morning political news show This Week with George Stephanopoulos.

What do you do between weekly broadcasts?

The workload intensifies as we get closer to the show day, but not an hour goes by when I am not busy. We have a small staff of 12 people, meaning that I have taken on far more responsibilities than my job description outlines. Some of our production is planned weeks in advance and some is planned just hours in advance.

What are your primary responsibilities?

I prepare research packets for our anchors with the best columns, transcripts, and press releases of the week. I pre-interview our guests and write question outlines for our producers and anchor. I am involved in our operations: booking spaces, crews, travel, etc. I am also in charge of breaking-news bookings over the weekends. On Sundays I am on the studio floor with our anchor and guests. I greet all our guests and make sure they have the research they need before they go on air. I’ve met everyone from Chris Christie to Elizabeth Warren—even Kevin Spacey for a House of Cards interview. After the show on Sunday I write for our website, tweet, and post on our social media accounts. The following Wednesday we start all over again.

How has this job influenced your professional aspirations?

I’ve fallen in love with my job, and feel confident I want to work in political news for a long time. I have met so many influential people and enjoyed the opportunity to get to know these individuals on a personal level. Many of them know me by name and have shared their advice with me for working in this field. More important than the networking opportunity is the sheer motivation that comes from enjoying your job. When you like what you do, it’s easy to work hard and grow in your profession.

How did Macalester help prepare you for this job?

My cumulative experience at Mac prepared me more than anything else. One-on-one discussions with professors about policy issues gave me confidence to have similar conversations with policy experts or members of Congress. Pitching my thoughts and ideas in a small classroom setting gave me confidence to pitch my ideas in the newsroom. And learning to write about important issues with accuracy and clarity is an invaluable skill in my profession. 

September 1 2014

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