The final TMA Step Up intern spotlight turns to Rutalee Buch, who has completed her four-week placement with APL Media and is in her third week at easyJet Holidays. 

At APL Media, Rutalee worked with the National Geographic Traveller (UK) editorial, design and digital teams to gain an understanding of the magazine’s processes. As well as research and advertorial tasks, she worked on her first print byline, which is set to come out in the October issue. During her time there, she learnt about the importance of following the publishing house’s editorial style and how this has an impact on pitching to different publications, which is a key feature in editorial work. A highlight of this placement was attending a PR event with the Southern Italy Tourism Board, where she could network with industry professionals.  

The second phase of Rutalee’s internship took her to the in-house PR team at easyJet Holidays. This placement has given her key insight into how different sides of the media industry work together. Adapting to a faster paced environment and a larger team, she was already writing press releases by the second day. She worked on internal communication on segments such as Daily News that go out to the wider company, and she planned and drafted LinkedIn posts; in the coming weeks, this work will include learning about screen design and graphics. Rutalee has also learnt how to adapt a press release for a Generative Engine Optimisation (GEO) style, expanding her range of writing to meet different aims.  

Rutalee said: “Working with APL Media and easyJet holidays has been an invaluable experience. Coming straight out of university, I’ve found the internship to be an incredible introduction to the travel media industry and how it works. Everyone has been welcoming and they’ve offered lots of advice for getting started — be it freelance or in-house. Getting to experience the differences between how PRs and journalists work has not only broadened my writing skills (GEO, SEO, print media and news segments) but also taught me how to adapt to new environments and transfer skills and knowledge that I’ve learnt elsewhere.” 

This concludes the updates from this year’s five interns. Subscribe to the TMA Step Up newsletter for updates on the 2027 programme and applications, which open later this year.   

https://travelmediaawards.com/travelmediaawards2026/en/page/step-up

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About APL Media      
APL Media is a multi-award-winning content marketing agency and publisher, creating high-quality print, digital and live media across the travel and lifestyle sectors since 1997. It has published National Geographic Traveller (UK) under licence from National Geographic Partners LLC since 2010, alongside brand extensions including guides, events and digital platforms. Its portfolio includes Living360, a digital lifestyle brand spanning wellness, travel, food, sustainability and culture.       

APL Media delivers custom content, branded campaigns and editorial consultancy, internship schemes including Step Up and produces leading events such as the Travel Media Awards. It’s also a leading reseller of advertising for national newspapers, with content created for national newspapers, too. Its trade titles include Postcards and the ASTA Worldwide Destination Guide. aplmedia.co.uk