Student Journalists Take on Point Park University´s Newsapalooza

Brianna Vesely, Staff Writer

October 9, 2024

Sophia Bulava Takes Part in the ¨On the Street Reporting¨ Workshop. (Gabrielle Cunningham)

On Friday, September 27, 2024, students involved in the Multimedia Journalism and Broadcasting classes had the opportunity to attend the first-ever ¨Newsapalooza¨ hosted by Point Park University. Students listened to many monumental local and national speakers at this inaugural event and attended workshops. Some interactive workshops included Media Storytelling, Long Form Journalism, On the Street Reporting, Podcasting, and TV Anchoring and Producing.

The day started at the PNC Theatre of the Pittsburgh Playhouse where Dr. Andrew Conte and Robert Costa each delivered keynote addresses focusing on the importance of local journalism. It is important to recognize the importance of local journalism because of the key role local news plays in informing communities and keeping leaders accountable. Local journalism also provides a platform for aspiring journalists to gain valuable experience and showcase their work to enhance career knowledge.

Junior Allyson Merchant expressed, ¨Going to Newsapalooza did help me see that I could envision myself doing PR or Community Relations for sports teams.¨

The event also included an on-stage live interview between Robert Costa and KDKA Political Editor Jon Delano where they discussed the importance of Pennsylvania during the election campaign. Costa exclaimed, ¨Pennsylvania is crucial when it comes to the electoral map.¨

Pennsylvania has 19 electoral votes, making it the largest of 7 battleground states.

Students also had the opportunity to see Point Park´s Center for Media Innovation, a working space where attendees were able to witness the studio and control room areas being utilized in real time. Point Park students also showcased their campus television station, UView, which is entirely student-run. Any student who chooses to attend Pittsburgh´s Point Park University, regardless of their major, can be involved and a part of UView.

There was a variety of high school attendees at Newsapalooza including students from Franklin Regional, Penn Trafford, Central Catholic, West Shamokin, River Valley, and Alderdice. Once the day was complete, many Greater Latrobe students including Merchant said, ¨It was a great experience, I would definitely go back.¨

About the Contributors

Brianna Vesely, Staff Writer

Born & raised in Latrobe, Pennsylvania, Brianna Vesely is a senior at Greater Latrobe High School entering her first year on the High Post staff. Brianna is also a part of the yearbook staff as well as the broadcasting program, WCAT-TV. You will often see her anchoring the school announcements, reporting sports and local stories, or behind the scenes working the control room and editing. Her success in the program has earned her many awards as well as becoming a member of Quill & Scroll National Honor Society. Outside of school she spends the majority of her time cheering as a member of the varsity cheerleading team, as well as an allstar gym, Cheer Trixx Athletics, where she most recently won a gold medal at the Allstar Worlds Championships with her team. Brianna is excited to share her love for storytelling and sports this year with The High Post. Digital Media Arts Consortium, Robert Morris University 2024 DMAC Award of Excellence - School Announcements

Gabrielle Cunningham, Staff Writer

Gabrielle Cunningham is entering her junior year at Greater Latrobe. While this is her first year in Multimedia Journalism, she has taken broadcasting since her freshman year. Gabrielle is a sports anchor, covering Wildcat Athletics on the morning announcements. She’s also responsible for creating hype videos, news packages, interviews, highlight videos, and podcasts. Her work as a reporter has allowed her to join Quill and Scroll National Honors Society. She’s also a part of Mu Alpha Theta and the Spanish National Honors Society. Outside of school, you can normally find her on the soccer or softball field. She plays both sports for the school and also plays softball for Nitro Fastpitch. Looking to the future, Gabrielle plans to pursue a career in broadcasting! One day she hopes to be a sideline reporter for an MLB team. Currently, she’s excited to have the opportunity to be a part of the High Post and work with it’s amazing staff, while sharing her love for storytelling. Digital Media Arts Consortium, Robert Morris University 2024 DMAC Award of Excellence - School Announcements