CMI Annual Report 2023-2024

CMI Events
CMI Events
Header Image by Olivia Valyo / Liv For Media
Center for Media Innovation
Relocates to West Penn Hall
Editor’s Note: The following copy first appeared on Point Park University’s website.
All photos taken by John Altdorfer for Point Park University unless otherwise indicated.
The Center for Media Innovation (CMI) — a cuttingedge
learning lab for students, as well as a hub for
local media and the Downtown Pittsburgh community
— now has a space on the first floor of West Penn Hall
on Wood Street. The CMI first opened in a vacant
storefront on Wood Street and Third Avenue in 2016.
“We’ve gone through a change in journalism since we
opened the first CMI. Disruption has caused so much
pain in our industry, and now we’ve seen that change
turn into opportunity,” said Andrew Conte, Ph.D., CMI
director. “If you look at the ecosystem here, and the
news outlets that exist now that didn’t before, it is
really remarkable. So many of those organizations are
part of what we do here at the CMI. We’re supporting
important work and celebrating our way forward in our
new home in West Penn.”
The CMI features a glass-walled video studio, flatscreen
televisions and a digital ticker that offers a
New York City-style media hub where passersby
can be entertained and informed as students learn
their craft using the multimedia newsroom, TV
and radio broadcast studios, a photo studio and a
transformational presentation and gallery space.
“The CMI not only represents a physical
space, but a symbol of the University’s
commitment to innovation, creativity
and excellence in media education,”
said Student Government Association
President Kendra Summers ‘23, a
journalism major minoring in creative
writing and social justice studies. “The
CMI will provide students unparalleled
opportunities to explore and experiment
with the latest technologies and
techniques in media production.”
“The CMI has allowed me to grow as a
journalist and a media practitioner,” said
Justin Stewart ‘23, a journalism major who
co-hosts a sports podcast. “Because of
the CMI and its dedicated staff, I learned
how to create and co-host a podcast, and
it’s changed the trajectory of my life. I’m
really excited to use this space to continue
my podcasting career.”
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