KENNESAW, Ga. | Jun 3, 2025

Gabby Miller, Juliane Balog, and Zaire Breedlove had never gone to the Georgia State Capitol before, let alone covered one of the dozens of committee meetings during the General Assembly’s legislative session. At first, they were intimidated by the imposing facade, the people dressed in suits, and the language lawmakers use to describe policies that could impact more than 11 million people.

Undeterred, the trio of Kennesaw State University journalism students hit the ground running at the start of their internships last semester with the Center for Sustainable Journalism.

Led by journalism professor Josh Azriel, the center hosts guest speakers, tenured professionals in print and broadcast, and provides press passes that allow students to enter spaces alongside the best in the field. It was founded nearly two decades ago, staffed with full- or part-time professional reporters and some student interns who primarily dug into juvenile justice issues. Since then, the center has become more student focused and covers a wider array of beats on the local and state level.

After graduation, students at the center, through an internship as well as reporting classes, can evidence their work with news clips. Its new website, Fresh Take Georgia, is updated regularly, and last fall, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution offered paid work to cover Election Day.

“We are sustaining the journalism industry, training up the next generation of reporters,” said Azriel, the center’s academic coordinator and faculty member in the Norman J. Radow College of Humanities and Social Sciences.

This year was the first where the center’s student interns covered one of the nation’s largest state legislature with consistent weekly meetings at the Capitol, and each had different focus, dialing into a variety of committees. They all rose to the challenge, breaking out of their comfort zone.

The small but mighty group honed their news writing skills and developed a tenacious attitude to cold approach politicians, and to make calls and blast emails to get what they needed to adequately tell the story. Azriel was there every step of the way, meeting the three students at the Capitol every Tuesday morning, and encouraging them through any trepidation.

“They are learning how to interview people, go up to them and introduce themselves, how to interpret legislation and track a bill, and they are attending press conferences,” Azriel said. “One of my interns, Zaire, was at a press conference with the governor, and I whispered in his ear, ‘Remember this moment. You are literally in the same spot as some of the most well-known reporters in the state.’”

Reporting on the legislative session was an especially rewarding experience for Miller, who navigated it all as someone with autism. Because of her committee focus, Miller developed expert knowledge on the state’s prison system and other, more niche areas. Her story on a policy that would affect funeral processions was one of the most well-read stories on Fresh Take Georgia this year.

“I did things I never thought I could do because I limited myself with my autism,” Miller said. “I always get overwhelmed easily, and I always thought, ‘Oh, I'll always be this way.’ On our first day at the Capitol, there was so much going on, I had to go find a corner and hide. But it became easier to deal with all these people.”

Like the other interns, Balog strengthened her interviewing and writing skills while tending to Capitol matters. She covered the Agriculture & Consumer Affairs, Game, Fish & Parks, and Natural Resources & Environment committees, and will continue the environmental beat in another internship round with the center this summer.

“While I was at the Capitol, I put on an alternative persona, one where I'm not scared to talk to these people,” said Balog, who publishes the content on Fresh Take Georgia.

Because of her experience at the center and with Azriel, Balog has a clearer view of her future.

“He completely changed my career path,” she said. “Prior to this internship and prior to his help and knowledge, I didn’t have a clue what I wanted to do. He’s super accessible, and having that accessibility in a professor makes things so much easier when you’re learning.”

Students also went off the state Capitol’s grounds to cover events related to their beats, illustrating how national and state politics intersect.

Breedlove, who primarily focused on immigration under the Gold Dome, covered several related activities in the area. He also travelled to Washington, D.C., to cover President Donald Trump’s inauguration, and both Azriel and Balog edited the content he sent over to post on Fresh Take Georgia.

Through his experience with the Center for Sustainable Journalism, Breedlove earned an internship with the Atlanta Press Club.

“Getting this internship would not have been able to happen without Professor Azriel because before meeting and learning from him, my writing style would have not met that standard,” said Breedlove, who serves as the managing editor of KSU’s student newspaper The Sentinel. “I was also able to learn the ethics and actions that are necessary in order to be an effective reporter.”

– Story by Amber Perry

Photo by Darnell Wilburn

A leader in innovative teaching and learning, Kennesaw State University offers undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral degrees to its more than 47,000 students. Kennesaw State is a member of the University System of Georgia with 11 academic colleges. The university’s vibrant campus culture, diverse population, strong global ties, and entrepreneurial spirit draw students from throughout the country and the world. Kennesaw State is a Carnegie-designated doctoral research institution (R2), placing it among an elite group of only 8 percent of U.S. colleges and universities with an R1 or R2 status. For more information, visit kennesaw.edu.