We got the chance to speak with Point Park’s first ever Emmy award winning student, Josh Croup. Keep reading to learn more about Josh’s Emmy win, his time at Point Park, and more!
HC: Tell us a little bit about yourself!
Josh Croup: I’m a senior broadcast reporting major with minors in broadcast production and public relations/advertising. I’m actively involved with student media at Point Park, previously serving as the Globe’s editor-in-chief in 2016 and currently working as the news/sports director of U-View. I’m on the Student Advisory Board of the Pittsburgh Center for Sports Media and Marketing, the treasurer of the United Student Government and a mentor in the honors program. I’m a news junkie, I love watching and covering sports, and my parents call me a “Fountain of useless information” for my fun facts (ask me about Canada or the U.S. penny someday).
HC: Why did you choose Point Park?
JC: It really came down to two things for me. First and foremost, I love this city. There are so many opportunities, especially in sports. If I’m going to work in broadcasting or sports, I figured that Pittsburgh would kind of give me a taste of what it’s like to live and work in a city so I could have a better understanding of the real world once I graduate. I also loved that the school wouldn’t hold me back and would let me get involved on day one. That’s exactly what happened.
HC: What inspired you to get into broadcasting?
JC: I think I can trace this back to 6th grade when I became the crew chief of our elementary school TV station. I got a chance to direct and anchor the morning announcements and I even edited on tape, something that isn’t even fathomable today. I stuck with the TV stations throughout middle school and high school and kind of just fell in love with it over time.
HC: You won an Emmy for your work on U-View, Point Park’s student-run television program. Can you tell us what it was like to receive such an honor?
JC: It really is a team award. It’s an amazing and incredible honor, but most of the pieces on my reel that I submitted were a result of work that my friends at U-View helped me produce. Whether they were directing in the control room or running the camera, they really were instrumental to this award. I’m so happy that I was able to get U-View and Point Park in the spotlight briefly and hopefully this is the first of many to come for the university.
Josh’s Emmy submission
HC: During your time at Point Park, what has been your favorite story you have had the opportunity to cover?
JC: That’s a good one. I’ve covered everything from an adjunct’s resignation, to union negotiations, to the talented athletes at the school. I’ve also had the chance to interview Senate candidates, attorney general candidates and the Pittsburgh police chief. But one story that stands out to me comes from the early 70’s. Point Park used to have a small campus over in Switzerland and I did a ton of research on the topic before I even wrote the story. One thing led to another and I found a professor and student who were actually there. I love interviewing, hearing and telling people’s stories, and researching history, so this story kind of brought all of those together.
Read Josh’s story here: https://ppuglobe.com/2017/03/the-lost-tale-of-point-parks-switzerland-campus/
HC: How has Point Park helped get you where you are today?
JC: The best thing about Point Park is the connections and the network. There are Point Park grads everywhere, even though it’s a small school. I’ve had the chance to go to so many cities and meet so many industry professionals because of my involvement at the university.
HC: If you could give one piece of advice to students wanting to work in broadcasting, what would it be?
JC: Do everything, read everything, write a lot and learn everything. There are so many opportunities in the industry, but you have to go out there and find them. Once you find them, the dominos will start falling. But you have to be prepared. Point Park can prepare you with how many opportunities there are here to get involved. Say yes to every opportunity that comes your way early in your career, even if you don’t think you’ll like it because you don’t know where it could lead. You have to read everything to become well-informed and to develop your writing, which by the way, is huge. If you can’t write, you won’t make it in this industry. So say yes to everything, learn everything and just be a sponge.
HC: You have previously interned with both the Pittsburgh Pirates and the West Virginia Power. If roles were reversed and you were a player on a professional baseball team, what would your walk up song be?
JC: I love this question. I have a few walk-up song playlists that I constantly update. It’s different every day. Andrew McCutchen changes his walk-up song all the time, so I’d probably be like him in that sense. It needs to be something with energy or with a great beat. Something that gets me hype. It doesn’t even have to be something that’s popular or current. “In The Air Tonight” by Phil Collins is a fantastic walk-up song. That definitely would make my list for one homestand. Maybe “Believer” by Imagine Dragons would make it for a homestand. Any remix of a top-50 song with a good bass drop is a contender as well. I’m very picky, but open to suggestions. Maybe if I had a good Twitter following, I’d let the fans vote on my walk-up song for every homestand. If only I could have hit the ball in Little League…
HC: Now that you’ve won an Emmy, what’s next?
JC: Who knows. I love the TimeHop app because it really shows you that you have no idea where you’ll be in one or two years from now. I want to focus on my academics and work outside of the classroom to complete my degree and strengthen my reel a little more before I enter the job market. I did mention in my acceptance speech that I’m graduating in April, but no job offers yet, just a few social media comments. I’m excited to see what’s next. For now, I’m going to enjoy my time at Point Park and try to make the most out of my college career while I still have one.