Montclair CCOM Alumni Spotlight: Turning a Senior-Year Internship Into a Career at Fox Nation

Grace Keane’s path to live television production started long before she stepped into a control room as a production assistant for Fox Nation. Inspired by her father’s journey from a local Pennsylvania station to national networks CNBC and UNTV, she arrived at Montclair ready to build a career in media.

Keane, who graduated in 2024 with a degree in Film and Television, immersed herself in the hands-on opportunities that are the trademark of the College of Communication and Media (CCOM), and those experiences shaped the foundation she now relies on at Fox Nation. 

“On the Road, News Lab, and #FOCUS set me up for success,” she said “I also loved creating social media content for Montclair’s Student Recreation Center and my sorority Phi Sigma Sigma.” 

At CCOM, News Lab produces a student-run newscast covering stories from campus and the surrounding community, while FOCUS produces award-winning long-form reporting projects on issues such as immigration, climate change, and state elections. Both programs operate as professional environments, giving students hands-on newsroom experience.

Keane said the technical skills she developed at Montclair continue to influence her daily work. Producing, scripting and editing, reinforced through classroom projects and live productions, are essential to the streams and shows she now helps create.

One experience stands out: a spring break reporting trip to Arizona in 2024 as part of “On the Road: Reporting from the Field” course taught by Professors Steve McCarthy and Thomas Franklin. Working as a fully functioning news team, students traveled more than 2,300 miles in six days, navigating the state in two vans packed with production gear while logging 12-to-16-hour days in the field. The resulting multimedia project, Arizona Stories: Border, Water and Politics, examined issues including border security, migrant desert encampments, water management, and Native American culture.

“That class pushed me out of my comfort zone and put my producing skills to the test. My classmates and I ended up winning multiple awards from that project, including an award from the Television Academy Foundation and a Murrow Award from the Radio Television Digital News Association.” 

She credits much of her growth to the faculty who challenged and supported her throughout the program.

“I wouldn’t be where I am without Professors McCarthy, Effron and Gantt.”

By spring of her senior year, Keane secured an internship at Fox. What began as a resume-building opportunity turned into a full-time position soon after graduation.

Standing out as an intern, she said, is essential to earning that next opportunity.

“Asking questions, taking notes, staying engaged and having a positive attitude are everything.” 

Now working on the live production team, Keane operates streams from an automated control room, covering live events and producing panel shows in real time. On other days, she assists the long-form team on documentary projects, shifting roles as production demands. 

Recognizing the fast pace of the industry, Keane encourages students to stay informed on current events, seek out answers, build meaningful portfolios and develop the composure needed to thrive under pressure.

From award winning classroom productions to managing live broadcasts, Keane’s trajectory is a testimonial to the value of saying yes to hands-on experiential opportunities. The skills she developed at Montclair’s CCOM now guide her work in live media at Fox Nation and beyond.

Written by, Ioanna Tsompanellis

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About the College of Communication and Media: The College of Communication and Media (CCOM) offers a range of dynamic programs to a talented and diverse student population of over 2,000. Offering degrees in advertising, animation and visual effects, communication and media studies, film and television, journalism and digital media, social media and public relations, sports communication and an online, asynchronous MA devoted to strategic communication and media, the College prepares the next generation of communication and media practitioners and leaders. Founded in 2012 and housed in world-class, state-of-the-art facilities just 12 miles from New York City, the College is the only program in the country that offers the following opportunities for students: a radio station (WMSC), newspaper (The Montclarion), strategic communications agency (Hawk Communications), sports network (Red Hawk Sports Network) streaming platform (Hawk+), digital newsroom (News Lab) and studio, and a social media listening center (Joetta DiBella and Fred C. Sautter III Center for Strategic Communication). The College also has a Student Success team, including dedicated Career Services and Advising professionals who prepare students for the internship and job search process. Student projects and programs have recently received national recognition from PRSSA’s Bateman Competition, an Edward R. Murrow Award, several Marconi Award nominations, and College Television Awards (“Student Emmy” awards) from the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. The College is also home to the Center for Cooperative Media, which serves the public by working to grow and strengthen local journalism and media. Through $7.1M in grants awarded over the last five years, the Center focuses on collaboration in journalism, media equity, media coaching and training, civic science and research. The Center is also home to the NJ Civic Information Consortium, the largest funder of media and journalism in  New Jersey, granting more than $10M over the last five years to support independent local media, journalism and training initiatives.