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We Can Be podcast - The Heinz EndowmentsAuthor: The Heinz Endowments
Those working for a more just world share their stories of community and possibility to host - and The Heinz Endowments President - Chris DeCardy. Episodes take you behind the scenes of in-the-news individuals and topics, revealing honesty, humanity and hope at every turn. Language: en Genres: Science, Social Sciences, Society & Culture Contact email: Get it Feed URL: Get it iTunes ID: Get it |
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Center for Media Innovation founding Exec. Dir. Andy Conte: why tech & collaboration is the futre of journalism (S06EP10)
Episode 96
Tuesday, 17 February, 2026
Andy Conte, founding Executive Director of the Center for Media Innovation at Point Park University and author of “Death of the Daily News: How Citizen Gatekeepers Can Save Local Journalism,” joins Heinz Endowments President and “We Can Be” host Chris DeCardy for this episode of “We Can Be.” From the arrest of journalists in Minneapolis to the loss of legacy newspapers like the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, the future of the news is on everyone’s mind. Andy Conte knows the power of investigative journalism through his past reporting for the Cincinnati Post and the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. He is also at the forefront of the future of journalism through his leadership at the Center for Media Innovation. Since its founding in 2015, the Center has become a national leader in supporting local journalism by advancing technology, training and collaboration between both long-time reporters and student journalists. Beyond the loss of government accountability that comes with the closing of local news outlets, community cohesiveness is also at risk, according to Andy. “What's most interesting about local news now is how it knits people together,” he says. “And when it diminishes, those connections get frayed.” Despite the extraordinary challenges facing the industry, Andy is optimistic about the future of news if it is approached with an openness to technology and collaboration between news outlets and trained citizen journalists. “This current generation of young reporters is the most engaged and interested that I've seen since the Watergate era,” he says. “They want to hold power to account, and they want their communities to be better places because of their work.” Notes on this episode: Special commentary by Matt Barron, Endowments Director of Civic Participation. Produced by Scott Roller, Endowments Strategic Communications Manager; technical production by Josh Franzos and Tim Murray of Treehouse Media. Subscribe, listen and share episodes on all major podcast platforms and YouTube. Use search term “Heinz We Can Be.”
