Internship coordinators in mass media departments face problems both from within the unit where they are employed and externally from conditions at the internship site. Of the two, the most threatening from a career advancement standpoint are the internal problems. Students often plan poorly when considering internships. Some students demand an internship, only to reject one when it is actually available. Others show little initial interest, then make unreasonable demands on the internship coordinator at the last minute. When the internship fails, the coordinator is usually blamed. More threatening than student dissatisfactions is the reward structure of most academic units. Most coordinators find their service does them little good when considered for tenure or promotion. An internship coordinator hired from the media professions (as opposed to the academic ranks) is in no less peril, as he or she may lack the knowledge and sophistication to function effectively in an academic environment. An aggressive, pragmatic internship coordinator may be perceived by faculty as being shallow and arrogant. Further, the internal evaluation process for the internship coordinator is often murky and fails to consider conditions over which the coordinator has no control such as the school's location, the economy, etc. The most obvious way to avoid these perils is to reject appointment as an internship coordinator entirely. Failing this, the scholar should accept the position only for a limited time. (Author/TB)