Yesterday I spoke with Point Park University graduate student Nick Tommarello on the upcoming Newsapalooza event in Pittsburgh. It is an event celebrating local journalism from September 26-28. The Facebook event page states that it is:
A series of interactive events featuring local newsmakers, journalists, and esteemed public figures, Newsapalooza will celebrate the value of local journalism while fostering community connection and engagement.
Speakers at the event include:
- Robert Costa of CBS news
- a panel of female journalists moderated by Jon Delano of KDKA news
- Walter ‘Robby’ Robinson who lead investigations of the Catholic Church sex abuse in Boston and others.
I have written before on the rise in news deserts in the U.S. where many counties have either one newspaper or no newspapers. Newspapers are being bought up by conglomerates that are more interested in profits over contents.
Newsapalooza at Point Park University highlights an important issue. Tommarello states that one does not need a degree in journalism to become one. I retorted that it is important to have one’s sources straight and watch one’s p’s and q’s. I recommend Newsapalooza for anyone interested in learning about the news business.