WSKG managing editor Aurora Berry is joining Ithaca College as its first reporter-in-residence, bringing an operating local newsroom into the Roy H. Park School of Communications.
The partnership gives students a chance to observe and contribute to professional reporting while Berry continues covering Ithaca, Tompkins County and the surrounding region.
WSKG will have an office in Park Hall under the arrangement, which begins this fall. Berry's reporting will continue to address issues such as housing, local government budgets and public policy.
Students will be able to see how a working newsroom develops stories and makes editorial decisions. Faculty mentorship and feedback will support their participation, with potential opportunities for work to reach WSKG audiences across its 21-county service area in New York and Pennsylvania.
Interim Park School Dean Belisa Gonzalez said the arrangement will expand experiential learning opportunities. It builds on the school's existing student media organizations, including The Ithacan, ICTV and WICB, while adding direct contact with a public media newsroom.
The partnership is intended to connect classroom work with the demands of reporting for an audience. Students can gain experience developing ideas, gathering information and preparing material that must meet a professional outlet's editorial standards.
Potential collaborations extend beyond written reporting. The college and station described possibilities involving film, photography, audio, television and drone work, as well as WSKG's television and digital platforms.
The arrangement does not guarantee publication of student projects. Ideas must be pitched through faculty or a supervisor to WSKG's editorial staff, and work that receives approval must meet station standards.
Faculty feedback and newsroom review will remain part of that process. The resulting work could help students build portfolios while providing additional coverage for communities served by the station.
For WSKG, the presence at Ithaca College is intended to strengthen local reporting and ties to the region. Berry will remain a working reporter and editor rather than serving solely in a classroom role.
WSKG Chief Content Officer Christine Dempsey and President Chris DiRienzo described the collaboration as a way to connect the station's public service work with the college's communications programs.
The college's announcement outlines the newsroom's role, student participation and the editorial process for potential projects.
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