Nikki Pollo is a graduate student at Point Park University pursuing a Master of Arts in Media Communication, with a concentration in journalism. She received a Bachelor of Arts in Multimedia Journalism, with a minor in English, also from PPU in 2013. Currently, Nikki works for the United Steelworkers’ Tony Mazzocchi Center mainly running communications within the department. Her work detail consists of managing and generating content for the nonprofit organization’s website and social media networks, writing and editing news and feature articles, designing graphics and leading other media initiatives She elected to take the International Media course this semester because she has never traveled outside of the United States before, and also to learn more about how media corporations operate outside of the U.S. She’s really looking forward to visiting the magazine and newspaper media sites, but is also excited for the rest of this adventure. She hopes to challenge her writing skills through blog posts while gaining knowledge about Iceland and Ireland.
Pre-Trip Blog
I remember a few of my friends and fellow classmates traveling to countries like Italy and England while we were working on our undergraduate degrees in journalism. They would share their unique and individual experiences with me, recollect the different dishes they tried or reminisce about a breathtaking scene. I was interested in whatever they could share and inspired by their enthusiasm. However at that point in my college career I wasn’t able to factor traveling into a full schedule of courses, part-time jobs and internships. Now working on my master’s degree, I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to travel again.
It wasn’t until the last couple of years that I began traveling, within the United States. Prior to attending college I vacationed in South Carolina, and after my undergraduate studies I visited a friend in New Jersey. Through work I’ve had the chance to visit some southern states including Florida, Tennessee and West Virginia. I managed to spend a long weekend enjoying Chicago and most recently, I spent a week in Los Angeles and experienced Denver for a day. Up until this point, I’ve never traveled outside of the U.S.
When I was deciding on where to fit “International Media” in my course schedule, I knew it had to be the spring 2017 semester when I saw Iceland and Ireland on the itinerary. Iceland appealed to me for geographical reasons, and Ireland due to part of my ancestry and the rich literary history. While in Iceland, I hope to learn about the use of clean energy and the strength of a recovering economy. In Ireland, I’m looking forward to the inter-workings of a newspaper, magazine publisher and broadcast television network.
I’m nervous and excited to embark on this next chapter… Stay tuned!
May 14, 2017
After the longest travel day I ever experienced, we finally arrived in Iceland! We landed in Keflavik around 7 a.m. (3 a.m. for those back at home) and took about an hour-long bus ride to Reykjavik. I decided to take the advice of a few seasoned travelers and force myself to continue enthusiastically despite how tired I was. What is a day without sleep anyway?
My attitude will most likely shift when the alarm goes off early tomorrow morning, but I’ll keep telling myself this for now.
Jan Getz, retired Point Park University journalism professor, who previously taught the International Media course, and Rachel Bourne, our tour guide, met us after baggage claim. Jan and Rachel both arrived on Friday, scoping out the city for us in advance. They both immediately introduced us to Helga, our Icelandic tour guide, and Dadi, our tour bus driver.
On our way to the city, we stopped at a couple different places. One in specific was a breathtaking scenic view that overlooks rolling hills, large rock pieces and rippling water, and on the land are a series of while buildings with red roofs including a church. These buildings together are the residence of the presidents of Iceland since 1941. Icelandic President Guðni Thorlacius Jóhannesson was recently elected and currently occupies what is known as Bessastadir.
We also visited Hallgrímskirkja, the largest church in Iceland. This stuck out to me because of the architecture, which included a historical organ, yet provided a modern style with shale-gray designs and updated seating.
Helga shared with us that the residence of the President of Iceland did not require or service heavy security.
Also, 90 percent of the population (which the population total is about 325,000), approved of the new president. This surprised me because of the strong sense of safety and working collectively among one another – as an elected official or citizen of the country. This speaks so positively of Iceland and is very inspiring as a young voter within the United States.
Learning about and discussing politics and religion in other countries is important to my major in journalism, in regards to covering like topics in the U.S., or being able to relay international news in general.
May 15, 2017
Iceland won my heart. I cannot wrap my head around the breathtaking geography, rich history and the current workings of the country socially and economically. Today I was given the opportunity to take in pieces of each.
Helga met us first thing this morning and took us around Reykjavik to inform us of the capital city’s founding viking, Ingólfur Arnarson. A monument is located in the center of the city that identifies the first settler, depicted in Icelandic writing. A statue of Ingólfur Arnarson is erected across the street from the Icelandic Parliament House, or Alþingishúsið (Althing). From what I understand, government officials and public citizens are on a first name basis, much less formal than the United States. This is wonderful to me; I feel it signifies a balanced relationship and positive connection between both parties. What a way to improve a country.
The first stop once we boarded the bus was Perlan, an observatory with a 360-degree view. Standing at one point of the overlook, taking it all in, I thought “Iceland can’t get any better than this.” Shortly after I was proven wrong.
Thingvellir, Geysir and Gullfoss. Thingvellir National Park is lively, scenic and part of Iceland’s identity. While we were walking along, I was able to reach out and touch the end of the North American tectonic plate. I was in awe from this experience.
The Geysir hot springs were what astonished me the most. Of course I captured a video, and snapped some photos of the famous Strokkur erupting. But, I felt the need to immerse myself in the experience, without watching through an iPhone camera lens. So, I made sure to witness it again as it forces water straight up into the air every five minutes or so. As my friend Laura and I were navigating to the opposite side for a different perspective, Strokkur set off, the wind spreading the forced water and steam right toward us. We happened to be at the right place at the right time I guess – (though some may argue it was the wrong place at the wrong time). I could have spent most of the day here.
Finally, we arrived at Gullfoss or the “Golden Waterfall.” There are two different paths leading visitors to the falls. I took the road less traveled this time and made the trek to the very top. I decided today that I was going to seize every positive opportunity that I am able to, starting with simply sightseeing in a foreign country. Though this will sound cliche, I now agree that traveling really does help you find more of yourself. Thank you Helen, Jan, Bob and many others who shared similar thoughts with me prior to leaving.
I took a few minutes today to speak one-on-one with Helga in regards to Iceland’s economy, since I’m writing an article about it. A lot of my previous research was confirmed but more intricately detailed and corrected. Iceland suffered much of the same “housing bubble burst” that the U.S. did, but recovered much differently and honestly more efficiently. Iceland struggled slightly after and declared bankruptcy again but Helga assured it’s much different than last time, and that tourism is on the continuing rise (tourism is income that the country thrives on).
The positive outlook that Iceland has on rebuilding its economy, and the respect it carries for the country’s geothermal and natural wonders inspires me. It reminds me to just stop, listen and take in all that is going on around me once in a while. I believe that doing so will help me to find more peacefulness and to take action when I strongly stand for a movement or action.
May 16, 2017
Promote Iceland. The very first media visit of the trip was at Promote Iceland, a public-private marketing agency that exclusively works to promote tourism in Iceland. In summary of the presentation, we were shown three different social media campaigns that reveal the agency’s progression while aiming to reach their target audience. The way in which the agency grasped social media to send messages astonished me! The work was more than just scheduling related content or offering promotions like many U.S. agencies that I’m familiar with, but rather an effective campaign calling for the engagement of all audiences (local or the targeted tourists). The creation and sharing of videos put together by the creative team thrived as the main visual piece.
“Answer the door in the clothes that you’re already wearing.”
I’m certain that most if not all of us will take this phrase away with the intention to practice the meaning in our own lives. For Promote Iceland staff, this authenticity was always number one. Icelanders, along with the Promote Iceland team, believe that one does not have to compromise who they are to succeed… and they won’t.
The Reykjavik Grapevine. The second and last media visit in Iceland took place at The Reykjavik Grapevine, an independent alternative newspaper written in English targeted for Icelandic locals and tourists. The Grapevine publishes news but also focuses mainly on cultural pieces. We met most of the staff and learned about each of their titles and work detail. The meeting covered multiple areas in a newsroom such as editing, writing, photography, design and advertisement. The team also took us through the publishing process, and discussed their website, social media and smartphone application.
Besides already being a fan of the Reykjavik Grapevine, I really enjoyed the visit and had a blast hearing from the staff. Each of them spoke honestly about their education or on-the-job experiences, the state of journalism in Iceland, and their objective and target audience. Much like Promote Iceland, they shared that they weren’t going to pull pieces that might be misconstrued or taken without humor. The voice of the paper is straight-forward, informational, at times humorous or satirical, and true to Icelandic culture.
One of the editiors, Valur Grettison, shared with us that not only do they place a comical light on current events elsewhere, such as the Trump presidency, but they also shed humor on Icelandic culture. For example, they published a piece where an American retold Iceland’s Nordic sagas in their own words. Valur laughed about the fact that the sagas are old and though carried on by the nation’s residents, the stories still carry some humor elsewhere. I appreciated the fact that honestly and humor run this newspaper, and also that every region (including Iceland) is subject to the staff’s individual and independent voice. This visit helped me to remember the very first reason I wanted to become a writer: to tell stories with a cause and to write honestly.
The major piece I took away today in regards to Icelanders and Icelandic culture is that they believe staying true to oneself is important in every day life, as well as within communications or a brand. I’ll carry this with me moving forward.
May 17, 2017
Today was extremely rough. I never ended up making it to Dublin, Ireland. Instead, I spent the rest of the day with Rachel Bourn, our tour manager, in Reykjavik, awaiting the next direct flight to Ireland which leaves around 6 a.m., meaning our wake-up call is 3 a.m.
There was a mix-up with three students’ airline tickets; we were all supposed to board the flight today, but somehow three of us were pushed to the flight tomorrow. Rachel worked to get us all switched back to today and in no specific order, two of the passengers were successfully switched. Can you guess who the unlucky party was? Rachel and Dr. Darlene Marnich, Point Park University professor and education department chair, spent over two hours with me trying everything we could to get the airline to make the switch for us. Unfortunately, the were unable to assist us.
Rachel and I decided to take this extra day to catch up on rest, since we are miles outside of Reykjavik near the airport. I’ve made the best of it by trying some local coffee and the Iceland famous Skyr yogurt. The coffee was amazing! The yogurt very interesting in flavor but also pretty tasty. It’s slightly thicker than regular yogurt, but not quite as thick as Greek yogurt. I went with a safe flavor: vanilla with chocolate pieces. I figured I needed to test a couple Icelandic staples before leaving the country at the very least.
May 18, 2017
After all that happened yesterday and yet another extremely early day of traveling, I am finally in Dublin, Ireland. Due to the circumstances I unfortunately missed the lecture scheduled at Dublin City University, but made it to the city in time to visit Harmonia Ltd., Ireland’s largest magazine publisher.
But looking back despite the airlines issues, I was definitely disappointed to leave Iceland so soon. The three days we were there touring the city of Reykjavik, witnessing the country’s geothermal and natural resources, visiting professional communications organizations, and trying some delicious new food, were simply not enough. Iceland is a country I would visit again. If the opportunity comes around in the future, I would visit and experience a different city in the country. I would also try to see more of the country’s natural beauty outside of Thingvellir National Park, Geysir and Gullfoss, though these were indescribable.
Tomorrow after the two scheduled media visits, I hope to explore more of Dublin. As I mentioned earlier, Harmonia Ltd. is the only piece of the trip so far that I was able to attend. This media company is one I have been looking forward to visiting as they develop, publish and distribute over five million magazines per year in Ireland and internationally. This visit was especially unique because Harmonia CEO Ciaran Casey was there to lead the discussion with us. We also heard from other staff members such as in advertising and sales, editorial, design and event management.
The advice given to us by staff members Miriam Atkins and Rebecca McKnight was to immerse ourselves in positions that could expose new talents and provide us with endless opportunities. Instead of sticking to one strict form of communication, we should expand our horizons.
Taking this all in, I’m hoping to get some much needed rest tonight and learn about other mediums along with exploring of Dublin over the next couple of days.
May 19, 2017: part one
There were so many events that took place today so I’m going to split this post up into two different parts, in order to organize my thoughts chronologically.
Media visits. To kick off my first full day in Dublin, we participated in two very different media visits. The first stop was at Heneghan PR, where we met with Managing Director Nigel Heneghan and a few other staff members. Then we had the opportunity to meet Michael Chester, who is the president of the Press Photographers Association of Ireland, and also holds a life-long passion for photography. Both of the media visits were unique in their individual presentations to say the least. Though I am not necessarily in public relationships or professional photography, I appreciated and learned so much from both.
The Heneghan PR team showed us a quick presentation that represented the firm and detailed their clients, and also held a question-and-answer session. What stuck with me the most was the team strongly communicated that no matter the size or needs of the client, their job is to do the best they can. They are also not afraid to let a client know what their strong or weak points are. For example, Account Director Eve Noone shared that she often times works with other public relations firms to ensure all needs of the client are fulfilled. I found this to be very professional and motivating on the basis of clientele needs.
Michael Chester, who we met with after Heneghan PR, was extremely outgoing and humorous! He shared with us his personal life that led to his career and current position as president, explained what the organization was, and provided us with multiple photographs taken by himself and other professionals. What stood out for me the most was Michael’s personality and ambition. Though he appeared very comical and straight-forward, I could see how serious he took his passion, his career and photography in general. When he told us of the many experiences he had while obtaining print-worthy photos working alongside journalists, it was easy to understand the difference one could make through their profession, passion and creativity.
I am so truly inspired by the quality of work that Heneghan PR strives for every day, and the way in which Michael Chester continually follows his dreams. Today I not only learned journalistic skills, I witnessed the significance of hard work and dedication to reach goals.
May 19, 2017: part two
The Trinity College campus in Dublin is beautifully decorated with historical architecture and monuments. The itinerary for the first day in Dublin (which I missed due to airline issues) included a trip to the Book of Kells, which was canceled because of (get ready for this), more airline issues. I admit this was convenient for me though, as the visit was rescheduled for today. We went through the museum and viewed the Book of Kells, toured the Old Library and walked the campus. Walking through the library was something I’ve been wanting to do for a little while, and now I can check it off my list. I was in awe of how all of the artifacts were so well preserved.
Later in the evening, Laura and I decided to embark on a literary pub crawl with all of the professors. The crawl was a blast, and definitely not what we expected. We were greeted by two professional Irish actors, well-versed in the lives of famous Irish writers such as James Joyce and Samuel Beckett. They acted out pieces of the literary works, while also telling stories about the authors in between pub stops, pointing out which pubs they attended way back then. I was so engrossed in the stories, that I only tried one drink at the very last pub stop. It was an apple-flavored cider that was crisp and refreshing. I was always interested in English literature, as I minored in English as an undergraduate student. This was an informative and fun experience in Dublin!
May 20, 2017
A free day in Dublin meant simply getting to know the city, and that is exactly what I did. After getting some much needed rest from all of the travel days now behind me, I put on my running shoes and grabbed an umbrella before heading out to see what makes Dublin such a tourist-driven city in Ireland. Laura joined as she was up for the same. We walked for most of the afternoon through streets filled with restaurants and shops, along the Liffey River, and through local historical sites depicting the early vikings.
Trying local coffee is a must for me in any new city, so I stopped randomly and grabbed a caramel latte. If I’m being honest, I did not particularly like it. On the other hand, we stopped and grabbed a decent late lunch/early dinner and some gelato for dessert, which was terrific.
We trekked the bridges across the Liffey and reviewed the local architecture and design. My favorite view is of the colored doors that give Dublin such vibrancy, and bring the city to life.
With just a few days in Dublin, I think that the people I’ve spoken to and their mostly happy personalities, the architecture and cultural history are what makes Dublin such an attractive travel destination. I am not necessarily a huge fan of Dublin myself, but I do appreciate the culture, history, media presence and locals that add personality and liveliness to city. I’m looking forward to seeing the differences in Belfast and Galway.
May 21, 2017
I said farewell to Dublin this morning as we boarded a train to Belfast, officially leaving the Republic of Ireland… for now. Northern Ireland means switching from euros to pounds, and feeling more of the United Kingdom atmosphere. On another note, I’m officially carrying four different currencies in my wallet and still managing to tell the difference between them all so that’s a plus. The next few days are going to be busy, but I’m looking forward to visiting the BBC News Northern Ireland and the Cliffs of Moher in Galway. In less than two days we’ll be heading back to the Republic!
Once we arrived in Belfast we set off on a guided tour of the city, focusing on its rich and often times tragic history. During the spring semester we discussed the Troubles, which began in the late 1960s and lasted until 1998 in Northern Ireland. Paramilitary groups were in constant battle over Catholic and Protestant religion and government rule. Many innocent people were injured and sometimes even killed in result. I had previously watched documentary videos and news segments in regards to the division of neighborhoods, message murals and bonfires, but today the not so far away history came to life.
What struck me the most was the peace wall, still standing tall and dividing the Catholic and Protestant neighborhoods from one another. Though there is now peace restored to this section of Belfast, the wall still stands. I wonder why locals are content with this. The graffiti on the wall is filled in with peace messages by visitors from all over the world.
One of those messages is now from me.
I feel so moved to be part of something so meaningful, and I hope and pray that Belfast continues to maintain the restored peace, and that they tear down the remaining walls.
May 22, 2017
Today was filled with information from media professionals at both BBC Northern Ireland and Irish News. Other than Harmonia in Dublin, I was most excited for and interested in visiting the aforementioned broadcast station and newspaper, located in the city of Belfast. I have always been in favor of writing for print and web-based publications but appreciate what goes on “behind the scenes” in broadcast television. Fortunately for me I had the ability to observe it earlier this afternoon.
When we arrived at the BBC, we were met by Dan Stanton, a reporter and Kathleen Carragher, who leads the news. They briefly covered a general overview/history of the BBC, BBC Northern Ireland and Northern Ireland alone. Then we were split into groups where we were able to shadow different sections of the station. I was part of the group lead to the gallery, where we watched the directors and technicians run the transitions between national and local news. I was amazed at how easily the team worked with one another to pull this off! They were not only connecting with one another, but the anchorwomen and film crew too. The BEST part was that we were observing while the live local news was being fed in by the crew. I felt very honored to have had the opportunity to see such a significant production go live! It was definitely an unforgettable experience.
We then made our way to Irish News and heard from multiple different newspaper staff members. Each of them shared their title and work detail with us, briefed us on what a “normal day at the office” is like, and explained how they tackle their assignments. I found their community outreach initiative, which was also developed to promote more readership in families, very inspiring. Marketing lead John Brolly shared about their development of a program for schools, and another for children in sports, in order to encourage them to use the paper to promote literacy and learn about the world. Not only is this a great marketing tool, but a creative way to encourage further education in the younger generations.
May 23, 2017
We took a long, scenic bus ride to Galway, Ireland today, leaving the city of Belfast and its troubled history behind. Looking out at the rolling green hills, grazing animals and worn castle figures was a beautiful site, and definitely the images you would generate after a Google search of “Ireland.” I wish we had more time to spend in the countryside so we could explore more and really take in the scenery like I did in Iceland.
Unfortunately though, I was not able to enjoy the entire five-hour bus ride because a detour through hilly, narrow streets ignited some motion sickness. I felt terrible and if I’m being honest, I haven’t fully shaken the feeling. I’m hoping that plenty of water and sleep will help me to refuel for tomorrow. We’re going to visit Galway Bay FM, a local radio station. I’m looking forward to listening in on a live radio show, since it’s something I’ve never experienced before.
On the way to Galway, we stopped in Kells, where the Book of Kells was stored. A few of us popped in to a local coffee shop which was very charming and filed with books and crafts for all ages. The workers were kind and shared details about Galway with us.
When we arrived in Galway, we gathered for a quick group meeting and reflected on Belfast. Joe Darcy, our tour guide, then lead us to the center of the town sharing interesting facts and pointing out the best shopping and dining spots. We enjoyed the remainder of the night in that area.
May 24, 2017
The visit to Galway Bay FM was a very new and different experience for me, as I have never set foot inside a radio broadcast station or newsroom before. We split up into two different groups upon arrival, and my group was met by Shannon Fogerty, an intern with a promising future there, who showed us around the station. We met the news team and explored the rooms used for on-air broadcasting… which were awesome! Shannon showed us the control boards and briefed us on the system the station used.
After the tour, we were given the opportunity to listen in while CEO Keith Finnegan ran his morning show and interviewed a local restaurant owner. It was interesting to see Keith run through the interview, connect with callers and switch his show over to the next. When the show wrapped up we all met in the boardroom and Keith shared information about his radio station, how he obtained his current status at the station, and a little bit about Ireland radio culture. Though I don’t think radio broadcasting would ever be fitting for me, I see how important it is to keep it up-and-running like print, television and web news. Everyone receives news differently, and in the end, it’s about journalism.
Galway Bay FM was the last media visit scheduled for our trip.
***
The rest of the day was spent in the city center of Galway shopping, picking up last-minute gifts and souvenirs. I surprisingly found everything I wanted at just two shops. Out of the three towns in Ireland, Galway was my favorite. We still have a brief stint in Bunratty, but I’m going to stick with Galway as my favorite for now. I enjoyed the character that the city center carries, the local shops and the water view.
We only have one more day left in Ireland. Tomorrow, we head to the Cliffs of Moher and gather for a medieval farewell dinner.
May 25, 2017
What a way to conclude our trip to Iceland and Ireland…
This ending is truly bittersweet. The whole trip was such a learning experience for me from day one. I gained more knowledge about international media and was given the opportunity to meet with professionals from multiple journalistic backgrounds. I witnessed some of the most amazing geographical features the earth has to offer, visited new cities and met some interesting people. But it would be remiss of me not to say that I was ready to get home and back to a more “normal” schedule.
We left the Galway city area early this morning and headed to the Cliffs of Moher. On the way, Joe wanted to stop and show us some more land and history that Ireland has to offer. We walked through limestone and grass fields which lead us to poulnabrone dolmen, or portal tomb. Archeologists determined the burial ground to be over 5,000 years old.
The Cliffs of Moher were by far my favorite site in Ireland. The water was vibrant blue, the land so green, the small castle-themed tower added character and the weather was sunny with partly-cloudy skies. Just like in Iceland, this is a picture I will remember forever. I appreciate the land and nature in each country, feeling like it helps me to better connect with where I’m visiting.
The evening sizzled out with a medieval dinner at the Bunratty castle. Helen and Bob were crowned queen and king, courtesy of Jan and Rachel. It was great to see everyone so happy.
In one way it feels like I’ve been away from home for months, but in another, two weeks disappeared in the wink of an eye. I’m so grateful for this experience, but for now, I need to settle in and take a few days to reflect.