November/December 2025
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Volume 64 Issue 3
The Inquirer Meets The Alvernian Kyle Rudart Contributing Editor Alvernia students, including those who work at the Alvernian, had an opportunity to meet with staff members from the Philadelphia Inquirer on October 16 and 17. Among the staff members, students met with Molly Eichel, the deputy managing editor. The meeting was arranged by Alvernia University staff for the benefit of journalism and digital media marketing students. On October 16, students sat in on the Philadelphia Inquirer’s 1:30 p.m. news meeting via Zoom. During the news meeting, staffers decide what items they should publish later in the day and early the next morning. Molly Eichel, along with the rest of their team, had this to say about the importance of what they cover, and how to determine the order of things.
Headshot of Molly Eichel, the Deputy Managing Editor of the Philadelphia Inquire
“I take a deep breath, so that way if I am calm, then everyone else is calm,” Eichel said. “So, then I decide who needs to go to the scene, and how many should go to the scene, and who is the closest? Then, I discuss with my deputy if the story is better than the live blog or a straight story, and we spend a lot of time communicating what the plan is.” Eichel compared the feeling to being ‘in the weeds’
working in the service industry on a Saturday night because of how hectic it feels. The students who attended these meetings heard Eichel’s words and found the time truly well spent. One of the students, Jordan Thompson, took part in these meetings and commented on what it meant to her. “Everyone had an area that they specialized in. I found it interesting how each person uses their talents to contribute to the final product of a published article. I appreciate the opportunity provided by the Philadelphia Inquirer staff and Alvernia Community News Lab.” The Inquirer’s meeting covered topics like SEO, which is short for Search Engine Optimization. SEO is important for the publication to consider as it helps what articles are driving readers towards the website, which in turn decides what things should be placed on the front
page. Ross Maghielse, another one of the managing editors for the Philadelphia Inquirer, talked about how the paper is formed and what takes precedent . While every story matters, Maghielse said for the business it is about looking at what directs eyes to their work. “Data does play a role, but it is not driving every decision,” he said. “The audience for a Philadelphia Eagles story is higher than that for a fine arts story. And it’s totally okay, and it should not mean we do not do the fine arts story.” The stress that comes from conveying news on a constant and live basis is a hard task to complete. Fortunately, the employees of the Inquirer are eager to reach out and help the new generation of journalists in a competitive business.
First of its Kind, One of a Kind
Anthony Parsons Contributing Editor The first group of Digital Media Marketing (DMM) students will be graduating in the spring. The Digital Media Marketing program was put into place in the 2021-2022 school year, and combines business, communication, and art courses in a single bachelor’s degree. “I think it’s a unique opportunity to study a program like Digital Media Marketing,” Anthony Parsons, a senior DMM major, said. “You really get to collect such a wide range of skillsets from different careers.” DMM helps students get an edge in the digital marketing world, particularly in social media and content creation. The courses develop skill sets in design, creative writing, and basic marketing and business, enabling students to grasp the fundamentals of creative careers. “This degree provides students with the opportunity to develop high-level professional skills alongside exposure to a variety of fine arts,” Dr. Ryan Lange, chair of the communication and digital media department,
Picture of the Lower Level of The Post Center in the downtown area of Reading. Credit: Anthony Parsons
said. “Our program is unique insofar as many DMM-like programs only contain business and communication courses. Our fine arts coursework adds liberal arts distinctiveness to our graduates.” Students take business classes like Intro to Sales and Marketing Principles to get a basic understanding of marketing in business, while communication classes like Multimedia Creation, Digital Storytelling, and Social Media Marketing build skills in creative writing and an understanding of social media. During the program, students gain hands-on experience in Adobe programs in courses like Digital Drawing and Photography, which allows students to work with the same tools as professionals
in the field. Because of the wide range of courses, it also allows room for students to minor in Business, Communication, and/or Art, since the overlap is so large, students would have to take only a few more classes from each program. “Our experiential, hands-on learning within DMM ensures that every student who leaves the program does so with practical, current skills in content creation and social media marketing,” Dr. Lange said. “We are a market-driven, practitioner-focused program that is responsive to industry needs without sacrificing our unique Franciscan identity.” The program was ranked 4th in TechGuide’s list of Bachelor’s in Digital Marketing degree programs in 2024. The program
ranked above schools like Arizona State University and Louisiana State University, putting the school on the map in terms of digital marketing. In an era where online entertainment and social media are dominating the marketing space, with platforms like X, TikTok, and Instagram leading the charge of short-form content, it’s important for students interested in the marketing space to get a head start. Digital marketing is a newer, yet effective way to market not just a business or product, but also yourself. Content creation and influencers have also taken over the online space, with online personalities connecting with people all over the world. There are younger kids and even college students who want a piece of that fame and creativity. The Digital Media Marketing program is fit for students who want to develop and improve their digital storytelling capabilities and expand their creativity to more types of media.