Local Media Professionals Offer Valuable Expertise to Elizabethtown College Communications Students as Adjunct Faculty Members

Elizabethtown College’s Department of Communications is offering students expertise from local media professionals who are serving as adjunct faculty members. Ali Lanyon, the co-anchor of WHTM-TV abc-27 News Daybreak, joined the department during the Fall 2023 semester, and Matt Barcaro, co-anchor of WGAL-TV News 8, will join the department in the Spring 2025 semester.

Lanyon currently teaches Multimedia Journalism and has previously taught Broadcast News, while Barcaro will be teaching Intro to Communications. 

“Our Communications students clearly benefit when working professionals bring their enthusiasm and passion for journalism into the classroom,” Elizabethtown College Dean of the School of Public Service and Professor of Political Science, April Kelly said.

Lanyon has been able to rely on her extensive professional experience to provide in- and out-of-classroom learning experiences for the students who’ve passed through her classes.

“I have a passion for storytelling and when I see that creative spark come to life for a student during their assignment, it is the most rewarding experience,” Lanyon said. “I hope I am teaching my students to dig beyond the surface and to find the human aspect of every story they tell.” 

Drawing on her experience as an anchor, Lanyon takes her students to the abc27 studio in nearby Harrisburg, Pa., to watch live segments and experience the daily operations of a newsroom. It’s part of a series of off-campus opportunities that Communications students at Etown experience as they learn about the surrounding region’s rich history in journalism and media.

Lanyon has also hosted several celebrated area journalists as guest speakers, including her co-anchor James Crummel, abc27 photojournalist Anthony Durso, and former photojournalist Jason Plotkin, who now works as a photographer/videographer for Penn State Health and Penn State College of Medicine.

The diversity of guest lecturers ensures that students in Etown’s Journalism, Digital Media Production, and Public Relations programs are all connected with a media professional in their desired field before graduation.

In the fall of 2023, two of Lanyon’s students, Sarah Moscoso ’24 and Jacob Moser ’24, accompanied her to the Mid-Atlantic Regional Emmy Awards, which were held in Lancaster. Moser and Moscoso handed out awards to winners and had the opportunity to network.

This year, when the abc27 News Daybreak team won an Emmy, Lanyon brought the award into class, inspiring them to pursue quality journalism.

Lanyon pushes her students to join student media organizations like campus news station ECTV, campus radio station WWEC, and student newspaper The Etownian, and was able to experience one of her students winning a Keystone Media Student Award. 

“Etown students are lucky in that they can get involved in these campus organizations as soon as they step on campus,” Lanyon said. “Many other schools don’t let students touch equipment until they are juniors or seniors, but at Etown, students get important, invaluable experience that will serve them well in the job market.” 

Etown’s Communications facilities feature professional equipment for video, audio, radio, and print. Due to the generosity of donors, Etown’s Communications programs are supported by several large endowments, which allow the College to offer state-of-the-art media facilities that are typically only available to students at larger higher-education institutions.  

“Ali Lanyon has been able to build meaningful connections with students by sharing her wisdom and experience,” Kelly said. “We are looking forward to also welcoming Matt Bacaro to the team this spring. He has been a popular guest speaker in several Communications classes, and our students are excited for him to assume a more formal role in their education.” 

About Elizabethtown College’s Department of Communications

Elizabethtown College’s Department of Communications offers a Bachelor of Arts in Communications for three majors: Digital Media Production, Journalism, and Public Relations. Students gain classroom experience in a variety of areas including public speaking, media, writing, video and audio production, and graphic design. Discover more.