‘Gilmore Girls’: 3 Things Rory Gilmore Should Have Known About Journalism, but Just Didn’t

Rory Gilmore’s dream was to be a journalist. While Gilmore Girls creator Amy Sherman-Palladino made sure fans were aware of Rory’s plan from the very first episode, she failed to make the character well-versed in the field. When Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life premiered, Rory was over 30. She should have had about eight years of journalism experience under her belt. Still, there was a ton about the field that she didn’t know. So, do you remember these three things that Rory should have known about her chosen profession that she just didn’t? 

Rory didn’t know she should have been looking for internships 

Rory attended a prestigious prep school and then went onto the Ivy League. During her freshman year of college, she successfully made the Yale Daily News, did reasonably well in her classes, and met with professors on more than one occasion. She was also friends with people who were on the paper. Somehow, however, the idea of an internship never entered Rory’s mind. 

After returning from her trip to Europe with Emily Gilmore, Rory jumped back into school. She returned to Yale to find out several fellow reporters spent their summers interning. In a panic, she called Lorelai and admitted the thought of an internship never crossed her mind. It seems strange that someone with such a solid education wouldn’t know how important internships were, especially in highly competitive fields. Eventually, she did complete internships, but she should have been aware long before she was. 

Rory should have known jobs aren’t put on hold for a person 

When Rory offered a job as a reporter shortly before her graduation, she decided to turn it down in hopes that she would land a prestigious fellowship. The fellowship, which accepts just a handful of people each year, went to other applicants. Instead of understanding she had missed her opportunity, Rory called back the editor in Providence, hoping the job would still be waiting for her. When it, naturally, was not waiting, she was crestfallen. 

Rory’s disappointment is completely understandable. Still, the fact that she believed a job would be sitting on the table waiting for her seems a bit far-fetched. After spending four years at a prestigious university with plans to enter the world of journalism, one would think she’d know a bit more about the inner workings of newspapers. It’s true in journalism, and it’s true in other fields. When you turn down a job, there is generally someone else willing to take your place. Still, there was no harm in trying. 

Rory still hadn’t learned how to interview in Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life

Rory didn’t appear to learn much about her chosen profession in the years between the Gilmore Girls finale and Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life. While Rory didn’t want a job at Sandee Says, an online startup, she eventually agreed to take an interview at the urging of her mother. Still, the way she showed up to the interview proved she had learned nothing since graduating.

Rory didn’t seem to realize that she should have story ideas when she walked into the interview. She didn’t seem to realize that she should know a bit about the business, either. The entire scene was cringeworthy. It certainly was not what you would expect from someone who had their career aspiration figured out before learning their alphabet.