Twelve students and three faculty members from the Communications and Marketing Programs visited the Post-Gazette newspaper’s news offices and UPMC’s Public Relations Department in Pittsburgh on Oct. 24.
At the Post-Gazette, the group joined the newsroom for a morning meeting where they learned about story assignments and news prioritization.
Following the news meeting, the students and faculty members participated in a question-and-answer session with PG editors Polly Higgins, Mike Wereschagin, Matt Rosenberg and Teresa Lindeman, as well as Executive Editor Stan Wischnowski and Health and Science Reporter Hanna Webster.
The journalists discussed the editorial process and offered career advice.
At UPMC, the SFU group participated in a Q&A session with Internal Communications Manager Jessica Shirley and Communications Specialist Claire Gysegem. The pair discussed day-to-day responsibilities within internal communications and media relations.
The SFU students and faculty also toured the UPMC Steel Tower’s 57th floor, meeting with other PR staff members at the regional health care provider.
“I loved meeting with the people from UPMC, specifically, because it showed me that the type of job I want is out there,” said senior Communications major Maddy Perry. “It gave me a sense of peace knowing that.”
As a future journalist, senior English major Colette Costlow found the visit with the Post-Gazette editorial team valuable.
“This trip made me more excited about my future career in journalism,” said Costlow.
“Being able to experience what a real newsroom is like is something I’ll never forget.”
