Good internship programs can boost productivity

I look back at a summer internship at my hometown newspaper 25 years ago as one of the best jobs I ever had. I worked as a full-time reporter at a small-town daily covering everything from the police beat to local fraternal group dinners. I got paid better than minimum wage to visit local government offices, talk to townspeople, and take photographs of people receiving awards. I uncovered government misconduct, followed a local murder trial, and tried to learn about the differing sides of a conflict involving cable television in a remote village. I loved it.