Seedlings for journalism

Erin Gannon with her Golden Quill. Photo by Jennifer Jordan.

Like seedlings taking root after a fire, small journalism outlets are rising up amid the massive disruptions taking place across our industry. How do I know? My latest column features media outlets that did not exist until recently – but that won big at the Press Club’s annual awards dinner. The most inspirational: Erin Gannon beat out established media outlets. The catch? She has Down Syndrome and would not have had access to traditional media in the past. The revolution is finally happening.

Please check out (and share) my column: http://triblive.com/opinion/columnists/andrewconte/13674497-74/andrew-conte-more-voices-being-heard-in-journalisms-walled-garden.

Sneak peak: Center for Media Innovation

We hosted a tour of the Center for Media Innovation with several Point Park alumni and members of the local media clubs.

It seems like everyone has a great idea for saving journalism — and I’m loving it. Ever since taking over as director of the new Center for Media Innovation at Point Park University, I have been swamped with proposals for new projects. People are pumped for good journalism and for making sure young people still see a bright future in this profession.

At the same time, walls are going up! I have been in the Center almost daily over the past couple of weeks and it’s great to see the place coming together, moving from the paper designs to actual plasterboard and glass. Every week brings some new development: The news ticker has arrived!

We recently hosted a tour of the Center for several Point Park alumni and leaders of the local media clubs — including Kim Palmiero, president of the Press Club of Western Pennsylvania, Tory Parrish, president of the Pittsburgh Black Media Federation, and Stacey Federoff, president of the Women’s Press Club of Pittsburgh.

We are on schedule to open for the fall semester.

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