The Pittsburgh Foundation Pledges $100,000 to Support Center for Media Innovation’s Next Generation Newsroom Wednesday, July 17, 2024
“This money will go directly to the infrastructure, programming and content that is designed to benefit the entire media ecosystem. This is critical work for communities at a time when local journalism needs more support than ever to remain visible and relevant.”
The Pittsburgh Foundation has approved a $100,000 grant to the Center for Media Innovation at Point Park University in support of its latest initiative, the Next Generation Newsroom.
“Supporting local journalism is one of the Center for Media Innovation’s most important roles,” said Andrew Conte, assistant vice president and managing director of the Center for Media Innovation. “I am honored that The Pittsburgh Foundation understands the value of this project.”
The Next Generation Newsroom is a teaching program designed to support local news outlets and early-career journalists. The content developed from the Newsroom will be shared across the 29 members of the Center’s Pittsburgh Media Partnership, which has a combined reach of 6 million. It previously announced a $250,000 grant from The Heinz Endowments and $25,000 from the Posner Foundation of Pittsburgh.
“This money will go directly to the infrastructure, programming and content that is designed to benefit the entire media ecosystem,” Conte said. “This is critical work for communities at a time when local journalism needs more support than ever to remain visible and relevant.”
Pittsburgh Foundation President and CEO Lisa Schroeder said the sharp decline in professionally-produced local journalism and lack of access to vital information is diminishing the quality of life in communities across the country.
“Daily news that is trusted and probing of our institutions is essential to the health of our American democracy,” she said.
Schroeder said the Next Generation Newsroom “takes an important step in addressing the crisis by building on innovations that have worked — the Pittsburgh Media Partnership and the McKeesport Community Newsroom — while practicing journalism that holds all of us accountable and provides opportunities for young journalists from diverse backgrounds.”
Established in 1945, The Pittsburgh Foundation is one of the nation’s oldest community foundations and among the largest of its kind across the United States. Its resources comprise endowment funds established by individuals, businesses and organizations with a passion for charitable giving and for helping to realize the Foundation’s vision of a region that supports everyone — regardless of race, identity or circumstance — to thrive and fulfill their potential.
Next Generation Newsroom Debuts at Newsapalooza
The Center will formally debut the Next Generation Newsroom at Newsapalooza, a first-of-its-kind event for Pittsburgh in celebration and support of journalism, which will be held Sept. 26 to 28, at Point Park University and its Pittsburgh Playhouse.
“As we prepare to present our vision for the Next Generation Newsroom to the Greater Pittsburgh Region, we continue to seek additional support from funders with the same vision to protect and support local journalism,” Conte said. “We welcome anyone who wants to be a part of that conversation and initiative.”
Presented by the University’s Center for Media Innovation, Newsapalooza will include national and local experts, sessions, discussions and hands-on media-making activities. Legendary editors from The Washington Post and The Boston Globe are among those headlining Newsapalooza.
“Newsapalooza is an investment in the Pittsburgh story — the people who tell it and the stories they tell,” Conte said. “True stories are challenged across America due to the loss of key storytellers — trained journalists. We need to protect this vital civic function, and Newsapalooza is another great way to highlight that mission.”
The Center has long been a champion and supporter for journalism, and both its Pittsburgh Media Partnership and Pittsburgh Downtown Media Hub serve to provide resources to regional news outlets. Its McKeesport Community Newsroom continues to support citizen journalism and storytelling in the Mon Valley, an area where residents are filling gaps left by traditional news outlets.
Citizen Reporting Academy
The Center also is currently recruiting a second cohort of its Citizen Reporting Academy, presented in cooperation with Point Park’s School of Continuing and Professional Studies. The Academy was developed with Neighborhood News Network and Trib Total Media. Classes for the second cohort begin in October.
Additional Information
Tickets for Newsapalooza are available online. Any person or organization interested in inquiring about a sponsorship can email Kim Palmiero at kim.palmiero@pointpark.edu.