Viacom and Fox Internships Enhance Career Plans

“When I was little, working at a television station was one of my dream jobs,” says Anne Kaplan ’15. “After two internships at television networks, I realize that my dream job could one day be a reality.” These opportunities, made possible by Lafayette alumni, helped Kaplan solidify her decision to pursue a media career.

Over the summer, Kaplan worked in the MTV research department under Mitchell Low and Cara Dorfman. The internship was sponsored by Peter Lops ’91, COO of content distribution and marketing for MTV Networks/Viacom. She and the other interns from Lafayette—Chris Kelly ’16, Andy Munoz ’15, and Oluwadamilare Oyefeso ’15—had lunch with Lops. “We learned about Viacom as a whole, and he answered our questions about the industry in general,” she says.

Kaplan learned how to calculate and interpret ratings and attended meetings that gave her insight into the many departments and how they work together. “Understanding the relationships between certain departments within MTV and MTV2 revealed the networks’ organizational structure and areas in which I might like to work.”

A policy studies major with a concentration in arts and media policy, her internship experience is directly related to her senior honors thesis—a strategic plan for Lafayette College television, advised by Mark Crain, chair of policy studies and Simon Professor of Political Economy. “I have applied many of the organizational and computer skills I learned at Viacom as well as the nuances of ratings, the network structure, and emerging trends in the industry.”

Kaplan interned in the ad sales and marketing program at Fox last summer thanks to help from Claudine Lilien ’90, senior vice president, Fox Sports.