Multimedia Journalism Students Bring Home Stories of Vienna

VIENNA, Austria – The Austrian hills were alive with the sound of student journalists.

Three faculty and 19 students from the Department of Communication spent June here teaching and learning how to do travel journalism and digital storytelling. Cross-training in videography, photography, writing, editing, and producing content, each of the students developed at least two stories for the e-zine accessible from this launch page.

Every other year, Communication faculty take students somewhere abroad for a month-long immersive experience in international multimedia journalism. This was the second time visiting Vienna; the bi-annual summer project was last here in 2016.

This summer, students developed stories on travel topics such as how Vienna keeps opera fresh and vibrant; the city’s “secret” gems from the perspective of expat residents; appreciating the “authentic” Mozart versus the abundance of Mozart kitsch; the growth of the city’s American football Vikings; the resurgence in affordable housing; and how to enjoy Vienna on 30 euros a day, to name just a few.

Project Vienna 2024 on the slopes of the vineyards of the Fuhrgrassl-Huber Winery in Vienna, Austria. L to R, Row 1: Abby Dunagan, Victoria Severiche, Kenadie Turner, Thea Dupree, Ella Hazel Rambin, Emily Conaway, Emma Bellantoni and Malena Le. Row 2: June Rowland, Lacy Gilreath, Maya Zamora, Holly Jordan, Ashley Moreno and Anna Wade. Row 3: Carter Goodson, Lura Underwood, Will Meadows, Heath Hutcheson and Gavin Zielke.

Vienna is known for, among many other things, its café culture, world class opera and some of classical music’s most beloved composers, architecture, museums, wineries, and night life along the Danube River.

“We chose this beautiful European capital because it is a paradigm of safety and efficiency, because of its rich arts and cultural scenes, and for the rich opportunities for compelling storytelling,” said Dr. Curt Hersey, who directed the project.

Students took residence in Vienna at the Social Hub in the heart of the city, met for classes at the 18^th century Palace Corbelli just blocks from St. Stephen’s Cathedral and Stephansplatz, and chased stories all over Vienna.

Class trips included excursions to Bratislava, the capital of Slovakia; Salzburg, the birthplace of Mozart; Vienna’s wine country; a contemporary staging of Mozart’s opera, Così fan tutte; and several museums and palaces. Students studied and worked Monday through Thursday, leaving Friday through Sunday for sightseeing, recreation, and exploring.

“I loved having the opportunity to be more than a tourist,” said senior Gavin Zielke, who covered the Vienna Vikings and, for his second story, Vienna’s ultimate frisbee squad, Wunderteam. “Living there for a month allowed us to get a sense of the place and the people who live there. I’m glad to be home, but I already want to go back.”

The students participating were Emma Bellantoni, Emily Conway, Abby Dunagan, Thea Dupree, Lacy Gilreath, Carter Goodson, Heath Hutcheson, Holly Jordan, Malena Le, Will Meadows, Ashley Moreno, Ella Hazel Rambin, June Rowland, Victoria Severiche, Kenadie Turner, Lura Underwood, Anna Wade, Maya Zamora, and Gavin Zielke. Instructional faculty were Dr. Curt Hersey, Mr. Kevin Kleine, and Dr. Brian Carroll.