Hi! I’m Katy Szpak, WFIU/WTIU’s digital news/multimedia journalist. This is my first career job post-grad, and I’m excited to bring my Internet expertise to the WFIU/WTIU Newsroom.
During my time here, I aim to bridge the gap between information and understanding, uncovering truths that matter to Bloomington and its surrounding communities. With a commitment to innovation, collaboration and ethical reporting, I am determined to make a positive impact through my work.
My news training began — like many other IU alumni — at the Indiana Daily Student. I wore many hats during my time there, but in that time I learned the fundamentals of news. I brushed up on my AP style as an editor, taught designers cohesive branding as Creative Director and built hand-coded web pages on the Digital team.
I recently graduated from Indiana University Bloomington with a degree in News Reporting and Editing with a focus on Graphic Communications. While at IU, I worked under The Media School marketing team as a graphic designer, which helped me build my visual communication skills. I studied narrative journalism under a Pulitzer-prize-winning journalist and wrote a 3,000-word feature on a river. I taught high school students how to write, shoot and edit a feature package for television in a week.
And my journey is just getting started. My position within the newsroom means that I am the point person for the website. I’m also responsible for a few stories each week as well as sending out the newsletter every day. Keep an eye out for some special web pages for our feature stories and special projects. I also currently run the WTIU/WFIU Facebook and Twitter accounts. Part of my job is keeping track of the trends in the digital landscape. That means there may be a newsroom TikTok in the future, or whatever the online algorithm demands to stay relevant.
You can follow my journey at WTIU/WFIU on my socials. I am @KatySzpak on X (RIP Twitter) and Threads. You can read my stories here. I am always open to story tips; you can email me at krszpak@iu.edu.
