By preserving important community stories and bringing local voices to a wider audience, Slippery Rock University student Josie Hart is demonstrating how student research projects can create a lasting impact beyond the classroom. Hart, a senior strategic communications and media major from Greenville (Greenville HS) recently completed a project that emphasized the importance of localized journalism in media writing.
“When you come from a small town, not necessarily everything gets covered,” Hart said. “Bringing my stories to class and giving news to classmates made them realize certain things were going on that they hadn’t been exposed to.”
Hart’s project, titled “Advanced Media Writing and Reporting: The Power of Reporting Community News,” was presented at SRU’s annual students research symposium, highlighting work from her Advanced Media Writing and Reporting course.
The project contained five original news articles centered around Hart’s hometown of Greenville, as well as the Slippery Rock area, with topics ranging from cellphone bans in high schools to paranormal experiences around town. Hart’s work was built off detailed and prepared interviews, thorough background research, factchecking, ethical storytelling and a deep understanding of the local area.
Two of Hart’s stories were published in the Greenville Record Argus newspaper. “Not Afraid of History,” an article detailing the haunted history of the area and two horror movies that were filmed in the area, was published on the front page on Halloween.
“I had to find a way to make the history relevant to the current times so it’d would be truly newsworthy,” Hart said.
Hart interviewed filmmaker Tony Reames, who then set her up with the owners of the Greenville Manor. This local, seemingly haunted, building serves as a cornerstone of Greenville’s rich paranormal history. After collecting content for her story there, Hart then visited other prominent locations around town and conducted more interviews with Mercer County natives.
Hart also wrote another story focusing on the issues surrounding mental health support in rural areas, connecting her active work at SRU with her career goal of working within the mental health industry.
“That story was one that was personal, so it was great to put a story out there that highlights the people who struggle with mental health in rural areas,” Hart said. “I have a concentration in health communications, so this was important to me.”
Another story that Hart wrote was about Greenville High School’s cell phone ban and how that affected students and staff.
“I had to figure out how to tell this story in a neutral way, because this one was a very conflicting story,” Hart said. “Everyone had a different opinion, and I didn’t want this to reflect poorly on anyone or create a space for argument”
This sentiment of uncertainty is one that can be felt by many writers, but ultimately works to promote how important local journalism is when covering large changes within a community. When reflecting on the time and effort spent on this project, Hart’s passion for the small community of Greenville shone through.
“I love Greenville, and it was so cool to be able to learn even more about my hometown,” Hart said. “I learned things that I didn’t even know happened or existed in the area.”
For Hart, this project was a way to connect back to her hometown while providing an opportunity to engage with locals and amplify information that would help people within the community. The course that the research was done for, instructed by Katrina Quinn, a professor of strategic communications and media, also acted as a push outside of Hart’s comfort zone.
“This class really broadened my horizons,” Hart said. “I wasn’t necessarily focused on media writing, but learning how to interview people, make the story and then pitch it to someone really made me get out of my comfort zone. Dr. Quinn specifically helped with my confidence in that, as well as my classmates.”
More information about the strategic communication and media program at SRU can be found on the program’s webpage.
