Going prime time: alum Julianna D’Urzo joins fastest-growing U.S. news network

The career expanding power of industry internships launched RTA School of Media alum Julianna D’Urzo’s professional career in just a few short years. 

D’Urzo’s journey serves to remind students of the pivotal role internships and other professional opportunities can play in preparing students for their chosen field, building their network and shaping their careers. 

“While universities equip students with essential knowledge and foundational skills, your professional skill set is honed through real-world workforce experiences that can be a game-changer for students that want to succeed in competitive industries,” she says.

Seizing professional opportunities 

Today, D’Urzo is an anchor producer for the New York based show Elizabeth Vargas Reports (external link)  on NewsNation where she acts as liaison for veteran television reporter and anchor Elizabeth Vargas (formerly with ABC News) and the network team, producing live newscast segments daily during prime time.

For D’Urzo, the network opportunities began at TMU with support from faculty, as well as students in her program. 

Her first internship opportunity with CBC’s daytime talk show The Goods started with a tip from her program coordinator. Instead of waiting for the email alert to go out, she went directly to the CBC studios to ask for the role as part of a credit-course in her program. 

“No one's going to build that door, you have to build it yourself. And once you've worked with Canada’s national broadcaster, that experience will stand out more than any individual class project on a resume,” she says.

Building on her experience at CBC, D’Urzo was able to secure an internship with CTV’s The Social, a popular daytime talk series covering news, pop culture and lifestyle topics and co-hosted by four women including RTA alum Marci Ien. She began writing stories which were posted to the show’s sister site The Loop. 

She wanted to accumulate published articles that she could use to apply to a graduate program in the U.S. and credits RTA Media professor Marion Coomey, who coordinates the fourth year internship program and work placements, with helping her to bridge the gaps in her experience.

D’Urzo also credits the RTA in LA intensive she enrolled in as part of her program as another pivotal moment in her career trajectory. The course allows students to connect with and learn from U.S. television industry leaders in Los Angeles.

She also participated in The American Pavilion, an entertainment industry internship program that brings professionals and emerging filmmakers together with the American film community at the Cannes International Film Festival. 

The program offers students the opportunity to attend panels, roundtables, networking events, as well as gain access to the world's largest film market. She covered a portion of the costs associated with attending by checking with her faculty administrators in advance and securing a grant.

Cross-border professional experience

Having set her sights on gaining U.S. industry experience and feeling emboldened by her internship placements working with major Canadian television networks and A-list talent, D’Urzo’s made it her goal to work with influential weekly entertainment magazine Variety. And her ambitions were realized.

Paired with Variety Magazine at the American Pavilion, D’Urzo supported film press junkets and celebrity interviews, and helped launch Variety Studio as well as publish articles on studio productions, leading to her first American bylines (external link) . She continued to work with the leading entertainment outlet for the next three years, going to Cannes again, the Toronto International Film Festival and Variety’s LA-based offices. But it didn’t end there. 

After completing a graduate degree in the U.S., D’Urzo used her American work experience to land a job at news network behemoth CNN, where she helped launch the short-lived news streaming service CNN+ as the associate producer for CNN Digital.

Today, D’Urzo is an anchor producer for the Elizabeth Vargas Reports, acting as the liaison between the anchor, the production team and network, a job she was connected to through her professional network.

For fields such as media production, journalism and broadcasting, internships are invaluable for hands-on industry learning, providing exposure to the day-to-day operations alongside seasoned professionals. 

D’Urzo says that a degree opens the door to opportunities, but gaining work experience can rocket launch a career. Moreover, participating in courses and programs that provide Canadian students exposure to the American market can offer a range of opportunities that can sharpen students skills and broaden their horizons.

If you can make it here, you can make it anywhere 

D'Urzo's inspiring journey from intern to producer at a top tier news network is a testament to the incredible opportunities that internships and specialized programming can offer students. 

The benefits include not only hands-on experience but also the opportunity to build a professional network that can open exciting professional doors. She proves that classroom learning provides the foundation to build careers, but real-world experience can breathe life into dreams. “Your network is your net worth,” she says.

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