Birdi Diehl ’27 Flying High at C-SPAN

Birdi Diehl ’27 knew the minute they learned about Emerson College’s D.C. Program that it was the right experience for them.

The Journalism major is interning at C-SPAN through the program, and hit the ground running earlier this semester, learning C-SPAN’s software system, extracting audio and video clips to repackage for the station’s Washington Journal series, helping produce podcasts, scheduling interviews, writing broadcast copy, and more.

“I told them when I was getting hired, I want to do Washington Today [show] by myself by the end of my internship,” Diehl said.

Diehl worked on All Things Considered at GBH this past summer, and has hosted, been a board operator, and local news writer for WDIY, a National Public Radio station in Pennsylvania. Those experiences helped Diehl with the C-SPAN learning curve. “They have a very specific way of saying things, and C-SPAN is the same way.”

Diehl is specifically working with two on-air/producers, Michael Patruznick and Gary Starikoff, and learning their individual styles.

“Michael and I went to the Hillary Rodham Clinton Award at Georgetown, and cut a two-minute clip,” said Diehl. “Editorial decisions I’m making [are determining coverage]. Then that plays on Washington Today.”

Diehl is working on a large project for C-SPAN’s “America 250” coverage of the country’s 250^th anniversary. Every state has specific councils working on their individual aspects.

“New Jersey is doing a revolutionary reenactment – the Battle of Princeton and Battle of Trenton – and that’s their celebration,” Diehl said as a for-instance.

Along with their internship, Diehl is also taking an asynchronous Emerson class and a class through The Washington Center, where Emerson D.C. students are required to reside.

Diehl is continuing to be part of Emerson organizations while living and working in D.C. They feel that their robust resume, which includes working as a news director for WERS, executive web producer for WEBN, editor-in-chief of Green Mag, and working on a project about private jet expansion for HorizonMass, was a main reason they were selected to intern at C-SPAN.

“For 30 minutes, the interviewer asked, ‘What did you do in this role?’ and went down the list,” said Diehl, adding it was important they could talk about specific details of the work they’ve done at Emerson.

Emerson helped them develop their soft skills to communicate in a professional manner, added Diehl.

“Everything I’ve done at Emerson – at WERS, WEBN, or in a class – has taught me what I need to know and what is needed to do anything in journalism,” said Diehl. “As an intern … I know how to work at NPR, or C-SPAN. I need to learn their writing style or software, but I already know how to be a journalist because of Emerson and student orgs. I know how to make a news package – it’s learning what they want.”

Diehl added that Journalist-in-Residence Angela Anderson-Connolly has been integral to their growth. “Without her, I wouldn’t be where I am today. And from the professional staff at WERS – they gave me a family away from home when I first came to Emerson. They always believed in me.”

As for their C-SPAN internship, Diehl has a specific goal:

“I want to create something that outlasts my internship,” said Diehl.