Welcome to the Next Generation Newsroom, a groundbreaking initiative by the Center for Media Innovation to revolutionize local journalism in Pittsburgh and communities across southwestern Pennsylvania.
As we embark on the largest project in our seven-year history, we invite you to join us in addressing the crisis facing local journalism.
Local journalism in Pittsburgh and across Southwestern Pennsylvania is in crisis. What are we doing about it? Below are the Newsroom's chief goals.
Next Generation Newsroom is a news service that launched to fulfill the need for high-quality enterprise reporting for people who want to stay informed about the place they call home. The focus of our work is government and enterprise reporting in Southwestern Pennsylvania.
We help our audience become better informed by explaining how public policy and pressing community issues affect residents.
An enterprise-first approach distinguishes our work from other coverage of local issues. NGN reporters also collaborate with newsrooms in Southwestern Pennsylvania to cover specific stories.
The stories produced through Next Generation Newsroom must meet our editorial guidelines and code of ethics.
In the face of significant disruption, the Pittsburgh region is at risk of losing vital sources of information that are crucial for informed decision-making and the health of our democracy.
The Next Generation Newsroom, based at Point Park University, will confront this challenge head-on by bridging gaps in local reporting while providing invaluable opportunities for budding journalists. Starting in the fall of 2024, we will produce accountability journalism for the benefit of media outlets, and the community.
Find our editorial principles and code of ethics, here.
The Next Generation Newsroom builds on and incorporates the Center for Media Innovation’s successful ventures – such as the Pittsburgh Media Partnership – while complementing the other journalism taking place across southwestern Pennsylvania. It creates a teaching newsroom that brings together professional journalists, recent graduates, and students to fill gaps in local reporting while blazing and sustaining pathways to careers. It will also contribute to more diverse perspectives on local news by recruiting, training, and employing journalists with varied backgrounds and lived experiences.
We’re launching the Next Generation Newsroom with Newsapalooza, our signature event this year. This dynamic three-day festival in September is designed to engage the public and emphasize the importance of local news in our region.
Join us for this exciting journey as we work together to ensure that Pennsylvanians remain informed and empowered to shape the future of our communities. Together, we can uphold the essential role of local news in preserving the fabric of our society.
If you want to help in any way – serving on our steering committee, offering insights, or assisting with an event – please click below.
Your involvement is essential and greatly appreciated!
The Center for Media Innovation at Point Park University is an incubator and collaborative space designed to prepare students for success in a media industry intertwined with the latest technology, while also supporting professional journalists and educating the public at large. The Center features TV and radio/podcast studios, a photography studio, a multimedia newsroom, and a transformational presentation and gallery space. The Allegheny Foundation provided $4 million in grants for the CMI since 2016.
Point Park University, immersed in the heart of Downtown Pittsburgh, focuses on student success through innovative experiential learning opportunities. Point Park enrolls approximately 4,000 students in more than 100 undergraduate, master’s and doctoral programs offered through its Conservatory of Performing Arts, Rowland School of Business, and schools of Arts and Sciences, Communication, and Education. The University’s alumni and students represent all 50 states and 34 countries around the world.
The purpose of the Pittsburgh Media Partnership (PMP) is to support and promote local journalism across the region for the public’s benefit.The PMP — which comprises 29 media outlets in the Greater Pittsburgh area — accomplishes this by encouraging collaboration between and among partner outlets, developing and distributing resources, building capabilities and advocating for local journalism.
The Pittsburgh Downtown Media Hub serves as a shared newsroom for local journalism. Presented by Point Park University's Center for Media Innovation and located within walking distance to campus at 223 Fourth Avenue in Downtown Pittsburgh, the Media Hub houses five news outlets: City Cast Pittsburgh, Next Pittsburgh, The Pittsburgh Independent, QBurgh, and Storyburgh. It also houses the Pittsburgh Women’s Press Club and the International Free Expression Project, and offers a daily drop-in space for others.
Your tax-deductible donation will help journalists report stories that otherwise could go untold and support a free and independent press in the Pittsburgh region.
Proceeds benefit a grant fund of the Pittsburgh Media Partnership, a collaborative of nearly 30 newsrooms through Point Park University. The newsrooms serve Allegheny, Butler, Beaver, Fayette, Washington, Westmoreland, and Indiana counties
So far, member news outlets have produced more than a dozen deep-dive reports on local political candidates, the state of book bans, and the local effects of a train derailment on residents.
Help them report more stories With your gift, you will help residents better understand their communities - and support a vibrant local media community.
DONATE NOWA series of interactive events this Sept. 26-27-28 featuring local newsmakers, journalists, and esteemed public figures, Newsapalooza will celebrate the value of local journalism while fostering community connection and engagement.
CLICK & LEARN MORE