Rachel Hood of North Little Rock, a May 2011 graduate and the 2010-11 executive editor of the Forum, has been selected to be the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette’s first-ever web intern. She is one of several recent grads from the School of Mass Communication being snapped up for media jobs.

Matt Johnson of Little Rock, a senior and current sports editor of the Forum, is working this fall as an Arkansas Democrat-Gazette stringer, shooting photos at high school football games on Friday nights. Several of Johnson’s photos have received prominent display in the Democrat-Gazette’s Saturday sports section.

Tony Lenahan of North Little Rock, formerly of Conway, who is a December 2010 graduate and the 2010-2011 Forum sports editor, is the new assistant sports editor of the Saline Courier.

Kyle Troutman, formerly of Little Rock, the 2010-2011 Forum news editor and a May 2011 graduate, is now working at the Searcy Daily Citizen, writing news and sports, and working as a photographer and page designer.

Mass Comm students are landing practical experience even before they graduate. Senior Chelsey McNiel of Hot Springs spent the summer as an intern for the Hot Springs Sentinel-Record. Senior Nathan Vandiver of Little Rock, originally of San Antonio, worked as a summer intern at Arkansas Business and Lisa Venis of Benton, also a senior, was a spring intern for the same publication.