Inside OPB
Internships at OPB
The Jon R. Tuttle Diversity Internship
Jon R. Tuttle was one of Oregon's most respected broadcast journalists, who passed away in 1991. In honor of his memory OPB established the Jon R. Tuttle Diversity Internship in 1994 to encourage future generations of compassionate broadcasters and journalists.
- Eligibility
- The applicant must contribute to diversity in his or her community.
- The internship will be awarded to an applicant who is enrolled at a college, university or community college or an applicant who has graduated in the past year.
- Selection and Awards
- Applicants should have a strong interest in journalism, radio and television production or telecommunications. Applicants must prepare an essay describing their personal goals and reasons for wanting to participate in the internship.
- The internship will be awarded based on the following criteria:
- Quality of applicant’s essay stating personal goals,
- Letters of recommendation,
- Academic achievement, and
- Interview with selection committee.
- Internship Stipend: $5,000
- Application materials must be postmarked no later than March 1
- Internship Timeline: June 1 – September 1 (Timeline may vary depending on intern’s academic calendar.)
- The successful applicant will be notified by May
- Required Application Materials
- Tuttle Internship Application
- Cover letter
- Personal essay
- Letters of recommendation (minimum of two)
- Recent academic transcript
- Resume
- Instructions
- Please mail application materials to:
- Jon R. Tuttle Diversity Internship
Oregon Public Broadcasting
7140 SW Macadam Avenue
Portland, OR 97219-3099 - Fax 503.293.4165
- internships@opb.org
- Jon R. Tuttle Diversity Internship
- Previous Tuttle Interns
- The 1994 recipient graduated from UCLA and was accepted into a UCLA-sponsored Latino leadership program.
- Upon completion of her internship, the 1995 recipient remained at OPB as an associate producer for three years. She currently works at WNET (public TV) in New York.
- The 1996 recipient worked at OPB as an associate producer for more than three years after completing her internship. She left OPB to return to school to work on a master’s degree.
- After finishing her internship with OPB, the 1997 recipient returned to school to earn a law degree.
- The 1998 internship recipient continues to work in technical production services in the Portland area.
- After completing her internship with OPB, the 1999 recipient continued her OPB affiliation, working with the executive producer of Art Beat, OPB’s local arts series. She went on to pursue a graduate degree.
- After finishing his internship with OPB, the 2000 recipient traveled to Europe, working on international productions. He returned to school in the fall.
- After completing her internship with OPB, the 2001 recipient returned to school, majoring in Communications.
- Upon completion of his internship with OPB, the 2002 recipient returned to school. He is majoring in Journalism and Mass Communication.
- The 2003 Tuttle intern is one of three Senior Policy Directors for office of Commissioner Adams in Portland, Oregon.
- After graduating from Portland State University, the 2004 recipient will be pursuing a Master of Fine Arts (M.F.A) in Film Studies in or out of the United States.
- After finishing her internship with OPB, one of the 2005 recipients became WLOX News Producer in Biloxi, Mississippi.
- Upon completion of his internship with OPB, one of the 2005 interns will continue working at OPB in the Educational Media Department as a Multimedia Production Assistant.
- After completing her OPB internship, the 2006 Tuttle intern attended Berkeley's graduate Journalism program.
- The 2007 Tuttle intern plans to graduate from Portland State University where she will receive a BS in Communications with a minor in Psychology. As the recipient of the Thomas R. Dargan Scholarship she will then complete a work experience at KATU news.
- The 2008 intern has continued her affiliation with OPB, working on various projects. She will be returning to school to receive a graduate degree in Journalism.
“I’ve worked in television news and production full time since 1979. Jon Tuttle was the best writer I encountered in all those years (and that includes the network correspondents from NBC.) I asked Jon to teach me his secrets to good writing but he really couldn’t. I had the basic skills that can be taught but Jon had that something extra. His writing sounded easy. It was easy to read and it was easy to understand. But it sure wasn’t easy to write like that. Jon’s words sounded organic like they were meant to be. He just knew how to tell a story.
The other thing I liked about Jon is he didn’t like chasing after news stories. He was out front doing the stories that would make the news later when the politicians or the courts got involved. For instance, his documentary “All about You” predicted the loss of privacy and risk of identity theft in the coming information age. This was before most people had home computers and the internet barely existed.
Jon did have one fault as a reporter. He wasn’t good at math. He’d always bring me the figures, percentages, numbers, etc. to check. But that’s a good skill to have too — knowing when you don’t know.”
— Jeff Douglas, Director of Local Productions at OPB
“If I had to describe this summer using one word it would be amazing! I am forever grateful for the people behind the walls of OPB who gifted me with their trust, support, and respect. This internship was full of teachable moments that staff members acknowledge and used to pass down information about television production. I not only learned a lot from this experience but I was also given the chance to directly apply what I had learned by producing a television segment! I would have never dreamed of being given so much privilege. My experience at OPB has encouraged me to continue into television production with integrity and the goal of educating others.”
— Shannon White, 2007 Intern
“Being able to work at OPB as the Jon R. Tuttle Intern was a defining moment in my life. It gave me the opportunity to have hands on experience in a broadcast environment that will prepare me for the world of journalism. Working at a place that is as accepting and inviting as OPB truly strengthened my beliefs in Public Broadcasting and the need for it in today’s society.”
— Chaundra Luckett, 2005 Intern
“Applying for the Jon R. Tuttle Internship was one of the best decisions I've ever made. The experience was a wonderful introduction to the world of public broadcasting and journalism in general. As an intern, I learned from thoughtful, skilled professionals and had the freedom to explore various aspects of the field, from reporting to producing to audio engineering. More importantly, I learned about the process of putting a story on the air and the ethics and values that guide that process. Because of OPB, I didn't just have a fantastic summer, I found a calling.”
— Andrea Brambila, 2006 Intern
“I could not have asked for a better place to start my career. Working with such top-notch and creative people at Portland’s most respected media organization provided me with a great foundation for the future. OPB has some of the best resources for television and radio in the state and having access to those resources is vital for anyone just starting out. I have learned so much about television production, broadcast, and responsible, objective journalism at OPB and had a blast the whole time. That summer I truly felt how awesome it is to be a part of something great.”
— Mike Crockett, 2005 Intern
