Procurement News Notice |
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| PNN | 7467 |
| Work Detail | Point Park University’s Center for Media Innovation officially opens Tuesday, but the spirit behind it is as old as journalism itself. “We want to reinforce the rich tradition of journalism, the values of journalists, the ethics of journalists and the roots of good reporting,” said Andrew Conte, center director. “What I see with this space is, we take those basics and marry them up with innovative techniques for delivering those stories. “We talk about innovation, but those core values of credible journalism are still intact.” Point Park offers graduate and post-graduate degrees including broadcast production and management, mass communication, photography and journalism. Sharing space with the YWCA at the corner of Wood Street and Third Avenue, Downtown, the 4,000-square-foot center is a $2.5 million project anchoring one end of the university’s Academic Village. Two blocks down Wood Street is another, the future home of the Pittsburgh Playhouse. The center’s location threw a few curveballs at GBBN Architects. First, the television studio looks out at a busy traffic intersection, where cars, buses and even a shrieking firetruck rumbled past on a recent afternoon. There is a YWCA gymnasium just beneath the studio. And less than a year ago, the space was fronted by Nathan’s hot dog shop. “We did sound studies before we moved into this space. The floor has an acoustic insulation down, and it has plywood, drywall, plywood [layers] with tile on top of it,” Mr. Conte said. “The walls are all insulated with four-inch acoustic foam. The ceiling is also insulated, and the HVAC system is on suspenders so when it comes off and on, it doesn’t make any noise.” The floor-to-ceiling glass fronting the intersection comprises three panes to shut out noise. They’re placed at a 3-degree angle to bounce noise and light upward and not back at those working in the studio. Point Park University hopes to bring in outside projects: late last month, Bill Flanagan was scheduled to shoot a segment of his Sunday morning regional show, “Our Region’s Business,” using students to run the cameras and boards. Bringing in local press clubs and holding educational events for professional journalists are also possibilities. The center has received a grant from the Allegheny Foundation. Although the school’s two main media outlets — the Globe newspaper and radio station WPPJ-AM — will maintain offices elsewhere, they will use the center for meetings, podcasts and broadcasts. Mr. Conte said that as the center is a university asset, the entire student body beyond the School of Communication will have access. Other highlights in the new center include the TV studio with its industry-specific lighting and high-definition cameras, the radio booth (both areas are visible through a large glass wall), a photo studio with green screen and, in the corridor leading to office space, an exhibition area that will soon display local photographs in a First Amendment-themed event Sept. 16. Large-screen displays are everywhere, including a 70-inch television in the main event space. Tables and chairs can be moved into various configurations; color-coded graphics by one of the doors shows how. “We call them our hieroglyphics,” Mr. Conte said. Marrying traditional print journalism reporting practices with digital opportunity will be part of the center’s mission statement. “We are seeing companies starting to make money, figure out ways of bringing in revenue to support journalists,” Mr. Conte said. “That really is the vision for this space. ... It’s too important for us to get wrong.” |
| Country | United States , Northern America |
| Industry | Advertising & Media |
| Entry Date | 15 Oct 2016 |
| Source | http://www.post-gazette.com/ae/tv-radio/2016/09/07/Point-Park-University-to-unveil-new-Center-for-Media-Innovation/stories/201609040005 |
