Department of Communications Publicity InternAt — CSUF - College of Communications

The Social Media and Publicity Student Assistant supports the Department of Communications by developing and promoting digital content that highlights departmental activities, achievements, and opportunities. The student will assist with managing social media platforms, drafting short- and long-form content for the department’s website and other digital channels, and helping promote events, research, and student accomplishments. Responsibilities include collaborating with faculty, staff, and students to identify story ideas, conducting brief interviews, gathering media assets (photos, quotes, and highlights), and creating engaging posts and features that reflect the department’s mission and community. The role provides hands-on experience in digital communication, storytelling, and audience engagement within a professional academic environment.

Tasks:

Develop and manage digital content: Plan, write, and schedule posts for departmental social media platforms (e.g., Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok), ensuring messaging aligns with departmental communication goals and audience needs.
Create a strategic content calendar: Assist in developing and maintaining a semester-long editorial calendar that coordinates social media posts, website updates, and promotion of departmental events, research, and student accomplishments.
Write professional web content: Draft short- and long-form written pieces for the department’s website and digital channels, including student profiles, faculty research highlights, event recaps, and program features.
Conduct interviews and gather information: Interview faculty, staff, students, and alumni to collect quotes, background information, and narrative details for feature stories and promotional materials.
Identify and pitch story ideas: Monitor departmental activities and proactively propose story ideas that highlight achievements, initiatives, and opportunities relevant to the department community.
Apply public relations storytelling techniques: Use principles of strategic communication and audience engagement to frame stories and promotional content for different platforms and stakeholders.
Collaborate with departmental stakeholders: Work with faculty, staff, and student organizations to gather information, coordinate promotional efforts, and ensure accurate representation of departmental initiatives.
Edit and refine digital content: Revise written and visual materials to ensure clarity, professionalism, brand consistency, and accessibility for diverse audiences.
Analyze audience engagement: Review social media and website analytics to identify trends in audience engagement and recommend improvements to content strategy.
Contribute to digital campaign planning: Assist with promotional campaigns for key departmental events, initiatives, or milestones by developing coordinated messaging across platforms.
Participate in professional feedback and reflection: Meet regularly with the supervising faculty or staff member to review work, discuss communication strategies, and reflect on professional skill development.
Administrative / Support Tasks (Limited Portion of Duties)
Assist with organizing digital assets such as photos, event details, and interview notes.
Attend departmental events when relevant to capture information or media for stories and social media posts.

Training:

Students will have regularly scheduled meeting with Department staff for mentorship and training, as well as discussion and review of work.

Learning Outcome:

- Students will demonstrate the ability to create effective social media and web content tailored to different audiences and platforms.
- Students will develop skills in interviewing, information gathering, and collaborating with faculty, staff, and peers to produce accurate and engaging stories.
- Students will apply principles of public relations and digital communication to promote departmental initiatives and evaluate how messaging reaches and engages audiences.