Carley Campbell: A Journey of Persistence and Success in Journalism

Carley Campbell never gave up and always believed in herself. She now has a position working the morning show at Wavy TV and has done many amazing internships before her current role.

Carley realized she wanted to become a Journalism major when she was 17 years old. It was after she got the opportunity to attend an open house for a teen health magazine that she began to feel extremely out of her comfort zone. Carley began to panic, realizing she had not done any writing outside of school assignments; her anxiety made her feel like she could never become a journalist. “…Then there was a moment of clarity. I knew I wanted to be a writer” Campbell said. “It was something I always loved to do and while I was not 100 percent familiar with the material, the magazine said they would help educate on their topics and how best to write.”

A couple months later, she was able to land a job offer; this was only the beginning of Carley’s success. She later met an editor for a Pittsburgh-based publication called iGeneration Youth with whom she worked with for months on an article discussing the rise of mass shootings in the United States. The article went on to become syndicated nationally and was the moment she realized she could have a career in journalism.

Carley was a Journalism major at Montclair and was very involved in on-campus activities. Her involvement on campus allowed her to have amazing opportunities and prepared her for her life after graduation. She was a part of The Montclarion, WMSC Radio, and Team Rocky. Her roles in these environments played an important factor in the person she is today. “Working for the Montclarion helped me recognize the importance of not only short deadlines – but also how teamwork can help build a wonderful final product.” Carley had a collaborative team at The Montclarion and continues to learn the skills she picked up while working there. WMSC allowed her to be creative, make lifelong friends, and learn to tell stories with sound. Team Rocky taught her patience and leadership skills. “You never work alone as a producer – you need patience and diligence to bring a show to the screen. Team Rocky taught me the value of being kind and energetic especially in rapidly changing situations.”

When it comes to Carley’s internships at CNN and SiriusXM, landing them was no easy feat. Before landing these positions, Carley would continuously put herself out there. “There are a lot of factors in how I got those internships. I think the first thing I would say was persistence when trying to get these positions in the first place. Every winter, spring, summer, and fall I would send out over 50 or more applications for various media organizations based in the New York City metropolitan area. I would keep tabs, get on as many email lists as possible, and check back daily” said Carley. When the inevitable rejections came in, Carley took it as a sign to keep going and to keep applying – persistence is key!

While preparing for another semester at Montclair, Carley began the interview process for SiriusXM. She is thankful for her time at WMSC and for her mentors as she felt encouraged to go for this position. When it comes to Carley’s internship at CNN, it was like a dream come true. “CNN was the one I had pushed to get from the moment I started the spring semester of my sophomore year. Hours of cover letter writing while balancing course work – feverishly checking my email for any kind of update – and seeing those invites to interview online.” Carley said. “There were a lot of rejections and while it was disheartening, I applied again and again.” In the summer of 2022, she began to feel as if she was not going to land another internship, but she decided that she could not give up and she took a chance. As she was on vacation, she got a call from CNN New Day for an interview. “To be completely honest, I cried.” Carley said. “While the show changed during my involvement to CNN This Morning, I got a firsthand opportunity to see each and every element that goes into building a morning show. I also got to work on Election Day 2022 which might have been the most thrilling night of my life.”

Carley is now working the morning show for WAVY TV. She helps get stories off the ground and onto screens across Southeast Virginia and the Outer Banks which she considers a privilege. Her advice to current students is to never give up. “Keep going. You will get rejections, bad grades, and stories that do not turn out how you envisioned them. But it’s about how you pick yourself up and keep going. There will always be bumps in the road and your story might not go the way you want. But keep going. You will meet so many spectacular people who are so dedicated to helping you succeed. You will find that story. You will see your grades change. You can do incredible things.”

Written by Jayla Trice