A rising third-year UVA College of Arts & Sciences student from Charlotte, North Carolina, Lily Jones works as a summer broadcast intern for NBC’s “Today” show in New York City. (Contributed photos)
At 4:30 a.m. on a Friday during the summer, most University of Virginia students were deep in sleep. But for Lily Jones, the pre-dawn wake-up call meant one thing: concert day at NBC’s “Today” show.
Jones would crack open an energy drink and stumble out of the New York University dorm she stayed in for the summer and into the car her employer provided. Then, the ride would take her through the still-dark streets of Manhattan to 30 Rockefeller Plaza.
By the time the sun came up, she was inside the NBC building. If she was lucky, she caught a glimpse of the morning’s musical guest – or even better, got a photo with NBA star Luka Dončić.
That’s because Jones spent her summer as a broadcast intern for “Today.” The rising third-year College of Arts & Sciences student from Charlotte, North Carolina, spent 2 1/2 months in New York City doing everything from answering phones to managing celebrities, sifting through broadcast footage to helping producers research upcoming guests.
Getting the call
After interning the previous summer with NBC Sports for the 2024 Olympics, Jones applied to the “Today” internship in October through the NBC Universal website, hoping her connection to the network would give her an edge. She applied to internships across the NBC universe, including late-night shows, sports programming and local news postings.
The call came in March as Jones was lying in bed. She saw “NBC Studios” flash across her screen as the caller ID. She took a moment to collect herself before answering.
She says it was the call of a lifetime: She had been selected as one of four broadcast interns for the “Today” show.
“I grew up watching to the ‘Today’ show when my mom would take us to school in the mornings,” she said. “We had a little TV in our kitchen, and it would always be on. So, the ‘Today’ show’s always been prevalent in our household.”
The decision was an easy one.
“They asked if I could accept it, and obviously I did,” she said. “I knew that was what I wanted to do for the summer.”
By the end of May, Jones had arrived in New York City, and her internship officially began June 3.
Day in the life of a broadcast intern
Jones says meeting celebrities like NBA star Luka Dončić, left, and longtime “Today” show anchor Savannah Guthrie, right, was a benefit of her job. “I kind of make the joke that celebrity management is in our job description, but I don’t know who everyone is, so some of them are just regular people to me,” she said. (Contributed photos)
No two days were the same for Jones. Some days she would start at a normal hour; other days she’d arrive at 5:15 a.m. to greet guests on the plaza. Fridays were typically off, unless there was a concert.
“My sleep schedule is not awesome right now,” she said.
The work itself was a combination of behind-the-scenes tasks and unexpected moments. Jones answered phones, delivered packages and logged hours of “Today” footage. When producers needed to be briefed on upcoming guests – like singer Role Model, who will appear on the show later this month – Jones would research and compile briefing packets with everything they needed to know about the guest.
And of course, there were celebrity encounters.
“I kind of make the joke that celebrity management is in our job description, but I don’t know who everyone is, so some of them are just regular people to me,” she said.
Her summer included sightings of Brad Pitt, the season seven cast of “Love Island USA,” KJ Apa and Dave Franco – though not all the interactions were accidental.
Jones learned to advocate for segments she wanted to see happen. When she hoped to get NBA stars on the show, she didn’t just wait and hope.
“(Luka Dončić) was someone I really wanted to see on the show, so I kind of took initiative in reaching out to the producer and offering what I could do to help, compiling research on them and giving it back to them,” she said.
On National Intern Day, Jones was front and center in her UVA shirt for a reel posted to the “Today” Instagram account.
[“Work From Home” by Fifth Harmony ft. Ty Dolla $ign playing]
I’ma buy her new Celine (Oh, no) Let her ride in a foreign with me Oh, she the bae, I’m her boo And she down to break the rules Ride or die, she gon’ go
She also participated in field shoots, including one with anchor Craig Melvin at the 9/11 Memorial & Museum.
“I adore him,” she said. “He’s my favorite anchor ever.”
What’s next for Jones?
She received the opportunity to continue her internship remotely until mid-September.
In a few days, Jones will return to Charlottesville to start her third year of college. She’s excited about continuing her participation in UVA’s chapter of Fight Cancer and her sorority, Kappa Kappa Gamma. She hopes to expand her involvement into new UVA clubs this year.
Jones is looking forward to starting classes again, particularly Spain: From Kingdom to Empire, a course that explores medieval and modern Spanish literature, and Commercial Law.
“It was a great summer, but I’m excited to come back to Charlottesville,” she said.
