opens Long Island Bureau at Hofstra, will offer educational experience to students

HEMPSTEAD, Long Island (WABC) — on Wednesday announced the opening of its Long Island Bureau inside the Lawrence Herbert School of Communication at Hofstra University.

Eyewitness News anchor Bill Ritter led the unveiling ceremony, which was attended by local elected leaders, community members, Hofstra administrators and students and representatives of Eyewitness News.

“We at Eyewitness News also look forward to having more alums than we already have join the family of Channel 7 in the future,” Ritter said.

Like Eyewitness News anchor Shirleen Allicot, who is a Hofstra broadcast journalism graduate.

“We look forward to collaborating, to identify and to help nurture future generation of journalists,” she said. “We need them now more than ever.”

The bureau will have a full-time reporter and two production trucks and will also offer educational experiences for students.

“We are pleased to announce this new relationship with Hofstra University,” said Chad Matthews, president of WABC and ABC Owned Television Stations. “It is the perfect convergence of education and business that paves the way for WABC to serve the community expeditiously on the ground, while exposing Hofstra students to some of the best-in-class journalists and the business of delivering breaking news.”

WABC has a history of supporting the journalism program at the university, donating significant quantities of valuable equipment and providing internship and career opportunities for many students.

Hofstra students will have regular exposure to WABC journalists, expanded internships, guest lectures and seminars held by WABC professionals.

“As far as ABC, they’re the top standard, right, they’re the standard of journalism, so, for us students, it’s going to be a great opportunity to learn what journalism really is,” said Hofstra journalism student Yaw Bonsu.

“This partnership is great for our students and for our neighbors,” Hofstra President Susan Poser said. “Having an ABC Long Island bureau at the Herbert School will allow our students to interact with and learn from working professionals on a daily basis while providing our community with strong local news coverage.”

The Long Island bureau, located in the newsroom of Hofstra’s award-winning student-run radio station, WRHU-88.7 FM, reinforces the station’s commitment to Long Island, as well as the Herbert School’s commitment to community journalism, including the newly launched community news site, LongIslandAdvocate.com.

“I think it’s a terrific time for all of us and I think it heralds a great future for the journalists coming out of this school,” said Mark Lukasiewicz, dean of the Lawrence Herbert School of Communication.

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