ABC News Intern, Cav Daily Editor, Hours & Holidays
This week I spoke with Ford McCracken, 2026 UVA grad who’s now an News Intern at ABC.
Disclaimer: The following are direct quotes from an interview shortened for brevity.
The Rundown:
COLD OPEN: Political interest turned news passion; Cav Daily & ABC
TURNING POINT: The news never stops and the hours follow
STEAL THIS: What do we disagree about?
INDUSTRY INSIDER: Fake news?
IF I WERE YOU: Diversify your talents
COLD OPEN
How Did You Get Your Start?
I had grown up around politics and it definitely impacted me.
I initially went into college thinking I wanted political work – until I joined the Cavalier Daily. I started on the Opinions Desk and then had a gut feeling to join the News Desk. I wanted something different, a place to write and make a difference.
We went through a lot of big stories while I was there. It was the stressful stories that made me like the job even more. Breaking the news about UVA Health, the Jim Ryan resignation, and multiple election cycles.
My enjoyment at Cav Daily affirmed my interest in news, so I became a Media Studies major.
Post-grad, I was only looking at jobs in news. Turns out ABC does semester-long internships and they gave me a chance to do it while I was still in school.
TURNING POINT
What’s A Challenge You Faced Early On?
Being a journalist is very rewarding, but it’s not a high paying industry, especially starting out. There's long hours too – I’ve worked every weekend since January with no holidays off.
The news never stops, and you need to be aware of that when considering a path in journalism.
For me, the hours are exciting. When I run into a challenging story, I have to be creative in how I navigate through. When a story is easy, there’s not much interest in telling it.
STEAL THIS
What’s A Question You Love To Be Asked (Or Asking)?
One of my favorite questions to ask people is “Why do you think X or Y about this issue,” especially if they have a position I disagree with. I love hearing people talk about what matters to them and you might even find that they’re more similar to you than you think.
In this polarized climate, people don’t talk enough to people with political differences. When you’re not willing to hear people out or if you assume the other side has bad intentions, it only fuels toxicity.
INDUSTRY INSIDER
What Do People Misunderstand About Working In News?
People often think that news is biased one way or another — that people are unwilling to change their perspective or see one that’s different from theirs.
I’ve seen the work that goes into any given story. If you saw the thoroughness and collaboration involved, you’d see the extent to which we aim to remove bias. To call it fake is just disappointing and ridiculous.
IF I WERE YOU
Do You Have Any Advice For Students?
When going into a career in journalism, don’t limit yourself to any one talent. Writing is such an important skill but multimedia journalism is where you can write, report, edit, and film. You don’t have to master it but it goes a long way to show to a prospective employer that you have the skills to do a multitude of things.
I've seen why that's important and that'll help you succeed in the long run. Just the fact that you have those skills will show employers that you were multi-talented.