By Joshua Schubert
In the age of the beat reporter, one would be bewildered to find himself simultaneously covering the fields of fashion design and biotechnology. This is the reason why Kate Klinck aspires to be a preeminent niche publication journalist.
Klinck grew up in Stanhope, N.J., a suburb 40 minutes outside of Manhattan, where she became intrigued by the glamour of the New York City fashion scene. Communications is another of Klinck’s interests, and Boston University’s reputation within the field made it her school of choice.
Klinck is in her junior year, and has learned about the variations between the fields of communication, particularly between public relations and journalism. Klinck has grown to favor journalism, due to the fact that it is “clear and contemporary, and the language isn’t flowery,” she says.
Klinck’s affinity for the fashion field, however, originally led her in to public relations. As a sophomore, she interned with RepNation, a PR firm with clients including department stores such as Macy’s.
Klinck represented the American Rag brand, and learned about the intricacies of the fashion industry. Fellow RepNation intern and BU student Katherin Son noted the distinction between the fields of PR and journalism in that PR is about “getting press” and journalism is about “being the press.”
“In PR, they’re always trying to sell something,” said Klinck, who prefers to editorialize and learned that her preference was for the latter.
Following the RepNation endeavor, and a brief stint teaching children to read at the Lindamood-Bell learning center over the summer, Klinck received her current internship with Stuff@Night magazine. The periodical is a Boston Phoenix publication, and details the local night-life scene. Klinck’s tasks at the publication range from fact-checking to product research.
Klinck has also become interested in the biotechnology and environmental fields, as a result of a number of issues about which she believes the American public is not adequately informed. She advocates for a more widespread dissemination of medical research and is in favor of clean air regulations. Important developments within the environmental and medical fields are too often “pushed to the back of newspapers,” she says.
When not producing content herself, Klinck enjoys reading Elle and Women’s Wear Daily, a trade publication, in addition to The New York Times. She loves to spend her free time during the summer at her family’s beach house on the Jersey shore.
Klinck also enjoys to “run and eats very healthy,” despite occasionally splurging on ice cream, said her friend and roommate Tani Nelson. She always tries to maintain a positive attitude, suggested longtime friend Jason Grube. “I don’t think I’ve seen her angry, ever,” he said.
“I would love to stay in Boston,” says Klinck, who plans to work in the magazine journalism field following graduation.