School of Communication Graduate Erin Yudt '24 Participates in Fulbright Germany's Berlin Capital Program Alumni Profile
Meet Erin Yudt '24
- Job Title & Employer
- Multimedia Content Producer, WKBN-TV
- Major/Program
- Digital Journalism
- Minor
- Psychology
- Hometown
- Sharpsville, Pa.
- High School
- Sharpsville Area High School
- Hobbies & Interests
- Reading, traveling, photography, spending time with family and friends, searching for the world's best cookies and cream ice cream
"Participating in student media, diverse media classes and internships helped me secure a job after graduation and set me up for success."
What led you to enroll in Fulbright Germany's Berlin Capital Program?
I learned about the Berlin Capital Program in the School of Communication's Monday Memo email to students. I knew I wanted to participate because I love to travel, learn about international media and make connections in my field. Being a part of the program connected me to Fulbright alumni outside of Germany and the United States.
Highlight the professional development opportunities you had during the online portion of the program and in Germany.
The program provided me with a snapshot of the media landscape in Germany and major issues being discussed in Europe, such as wars in Ukraine and Gaza and the surge in political extremism and distrust in media.
From examining the German notion of cultural memory to hearing German journalists’ take on the impact of current state elections on Europe’s future, I grew so much as a journalist in a short time. Discussing the current media landscape in the U.S. also showed me that we are more similar than different. I felt a stronger sense of community in the journalism field in Germany than ever before.
You spent a week in Germany for the intensive component of this program. Tell us about that.
Each day was packed with media and cultural visits and guest lectures from journalists, political leaders and advocacy groups.
We visited large outlets such as FUNKE, Taz, Correctiv and Axel Springer, which owns Politico and Business Insider.
We had one-on-one conversations with correspondents from The New York Times, members of the German parliament, and focus groups on antisemitism, Islamaphobia and climate change in Germany. We attended Germany’s largest event on climate change through the international movement Fridays for Future.
We traveled to Leipzig, exposing us to eastern Germany, as there is still much of a divide between the East and West.
A highlight was speaking with the Lie Detectors, a group of journalists who host media literacy workshops in schools. With the further expansion and growth of artificial intelligence, I think media literacy is more important than ever, and getting a first-hand education from professionals helps with the distrust in media and is something I hope comes to the U.S.
How did you incorporate your collegiate experience from Point Park into this program?
I took the International Media class that focused on Spain, and I could not have done the Berlin Capital Program without this experience.
Traveling to Spain was my first time out of the country, and spending three weeks in Barcelona gave me the confidence to go to Germany. My time in Spain exposed me to European approaches to media, such as quote control and openness to the use of AI, giving me some context leading into the program.
Point Park taught me to be curious, and sometimes asking the most basic questions led to the most interesting conversations.
As a 2024 graduate of Point Park's School of Communication, what advice do you have for prospective students?
My advice is to take advantage of every opportunity.
Participating in student media, diverse media classes and internships helped me secure a job after graduation and set me up for success. I didn't feel overwhelmed because of the education and experience Point Park gave me. While my focus is digital journalism, I use skills from my videography, photography, graphic design, motion graphics and marketing classes daily.
Never be afraid to apply to things that you may not meet all the requirements. You never know where a connection can take you.
What’s next for you?
I hope to become a multimedia journalist, covering topics like the environment, education and politics, and work up to larger markets such as New York City and Washington, D.C., through connections I have in those areas from the program. I also want to further my international media education with programs like the Berlin Capital Program.