Center for Media Innovation at Point Park University

10/21/2026

✨ Applications are NOW OPEN for this year’s Pittsburgh Pitch Story Challenge! Open to college journalists in the southwestern PA region 📍

🎤 Finalists will present their pitches live on Thursday, Nov. 12, during our Newsapalooza celebration here at the Center for Media Innovation. An audience vote will determine the winners.

Have a powerful story idea that deserves to be told? The Pittsburgh Pitch is YOUR chance to share it and connect with the local journalism community! 🤝

📝 Apply here: https://forms.gle/zWPAgkhbrPp6qCpaA
📅 Deadline: Friday Nov. 6 at noon

📣 Know a student journalist who might be interested? Tag them in the comments and help spread the word!

Point Park University

10/19/2026

🎟️ In case you missed it, tickets for Newsapalooza 2026 are ON SALE!

🔗 Get your tickets: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/2002168291256?aff=oddtdtcreator

Join us November 12–13 for two days celebrating Pittsburgh’s local news ecosystem, connecting newsrooms, and supporting the future of local journalism!

Choose your ticket tier:

💚 Community Ticket — $10
One-day admission for Friday, Nov. 13

🎉 Two-Day Ticket — $20
Thursday’s kickoff party + Friday’s festival sessions

🏆 News Champion — $50
Two-day admission + a special gift

🌟 Festival Patron — $500
Two-day admission + VIP recognition on stage and in the program

Discounted tickets are available in limited quantities for PMP members and college students! Email Kim Palmiero at [email protected] to request a discount code.

👀 Stay tuned for more announcements about this year’s keynote speaker, panelists, and festival highlights!

Point Park University

10/15/2026

⭐️ Local News Lives Here! ⭐️

Join us Nov. 12–13 at Point Park University for Newsapalooza 2026, a festival celebrating local journalism and exploring how newsrooms can continue informing, connecting and strengthening their communities.

This year’s theme, “Local News Lives Here,” celebrates the stories that shape southwestern Pennsylvania — from decisions made at city halls and school boards to the people, businesses and culture that make our neighborhoods unique. 🏙️

🎤 Hear from our keynote speaker Heidi Przybyla, president and founder of Get Real News, and connect with the journalists and community leaders working to strengthen local news.

At a time when local news is disappearing in communities across the country, southwestern Pennsylvania is showing what’s possible when newsrooms collaborate, innovate and continue showing up for the people they serve. 🤝

Be part of the conversation and help celebrate the future of local news!

🎟️ Tickets are available now: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/newsapalooza-2026-a-festival-of-local-news-tickets-2002168291256?aff=oddtdtcreator

10/08/2026

Please join us in welcoming Lexi Belculfine, MBA as the new director of the Center for Media Innovation! 🎉💚 Point Park University

A Beaver County native and longtime Pennsylvania journalist, Lexi has spent more than a decade covering, building and reimagining local news. From the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and The Philadelphia Inquirer to founding The Incline, she’s been at the forefront of digital journalism, audience strategy and newsroom innovation. 🗞️

Lexi is passionate about finding new ways to make local journalism stronger and more sustainable, and we’re excited to have her bringing that experience, energy and curiosity to the CMI. 💡

Welcome, Lexi! As we celebrate 10 years of our Center and step into a new era of innovation, we can’t wait to see what’s ahead! 👏

🔗 Learn more about our new director: https://www.pointpark.edu/academics/schools/schoolofcommunication/centerformediainnovation/meet-the-cmi-director

09/03/2026

Dr. Rhonda Threet, Equity and Inclusion Coordinator for Gateway School District and adjunct professor in Point Park University’s School of Education, recently joined us in our studios to record a new podcast focused on the experiences and perspectives of Black educators and administrators in Pennsylvania. 🎙️📖

“The State of Black Teachers and Educational Leadership” elevates Black educators’ voices while exploring how we can strengthen and diversify Pennsylvania’s educator pipeline. 📚 Find the podcast on the Pennsylvania Educator Diversity Consortium website soon.

We’re proud to help bring these important conversations to life at the CMI! 👏

🔗 Contact us to learn more about how to elevate your organization's story through video and audio! Reserve our studio spaces at www.pointpark.edu/cmi or contact us at [email protected] 🎥

09/01/2026

🌎 The Pittsburgh Media Partnership recently welcomed two groups of visiting journalists to the Pittsburgh Downtown Media Hub in partnership with GlobalPittsburgh! ✨📍🗺️

Through the U.S. Department of State’s International Visitor Leadership Program, journalists from across Africa and Papua New Guinea visited the Hub to discuss emerging technologies and the future of journalism. 📝

A special shoutout to PMP members Tammy Schuey of the Butler Eagle, Alice Crow of Technical.ly, Jennie Ewing Liska of Pittsburgh's PublicSource , and John Rhoades of NEXTpittsburgh for joining the conversations and sharing their perspectives and insights from their work in Southwestern Pennsylvania! 👏📰

Point Park University

08/16/2026

Many thanks to Trib Total Media for highlighting Pittsburgh Media Partnership member InformUp. Check it out!

Editor’s note: TribLive profiles members of the Pittsburgh Media Partnership in this weekly series to spotlight the robust media landscape in Western Pennsylvania. InformUp Pittsburgh is a nonprofit local news organization focused on government accountability, civic engagement and community-dr...

08/07/2026

Congratulations to the 2026 Pittsburgh Media Partnership Summer Internship cohort! 🎉

This summer, 12 interns gained hands-on experience in 11 local newsrooms across Southwestern Pennsylvania while producing nearly 200 pieces of journalism and related content. The cohort gathered weekly at the Center for Media Innovation at Point Park University for workshops, professional development, and conversations with newsroom leaders.

We’re proud of all they accomplished and can’t wait to see where their careers in local journalism take them! 👏📰

Butler Eagle Pittsburgh Business Times New Castle News PublicSource Latrobe Bulletin Technical.ly West Hills Gazette The Northside Chronicle Pittsburgh Jewish Chronicle The Indiana Gazette

07/28/2026

📣 The Pittsburgh Media Partnership is now accepting applications for its Fall 2026 Internship Program!

This opportunity is designed for a student with a passion for journalism — especially those from backgrounds underrepresented in the industry — to gain hands-on newsroom experience, strengthen their portfolio and build connections to help launch their journalism career. ✨

🔗 Learn more and apply: https://forms.gle/9sqKRVutKs32sbGy7

Applications are due no later than 11:59 p.m. on Friday, August 14.

Point Park University Center for Media Innovation at Point Park University

06/25/2026

📅 SAVE THE DATE! Newsapalooza is returning this fall November 12-13 and we can’t wait to bring journalists, community members, and local news supporters together for a week of conversations, celebration, and connection!

✨ Mark your calendar now! More details to come.

Point Park University Point Park School of Communication