Plattsburgh State broadcast journalism and TV production double major Alex Ladstatter didn’t want COVID-19 to disrupt PSnews. After arriving in his hometown of Syracuse, Ladstatter gathered his personal lights, camera and other sound equipment to anchor “Platts Today,” the news segment created by Ladstatter from his home in Syracuse. Going above and beyond is no novelty to him.
“When we had to go into quarantine, I thought I might as well set up here and anchor the news every weeknight,” Ladstatter said.
Usually, PSnews covers campus news along with national events, but Ladstatter decided to focus on PSU to keep his peers in the loop during these uncertain times.
“When he wants to do something, he’ll make it happen,” PSTV Executive Producer Lauren McAulife said.
McAulife met Ladstatter through PSTV and immediately noticed his work ethic and positive attitude — his suit and tie was the cherry on top. His energy, passion and drive to ask for more work and responsibilities quickly grew on McAuliffe; she couldn’t get enough.
“It was something we could look forward to every day,” she said.
McAuliffe is pleased with Ladstatter’s initiative to anchor the news from his home. Being the executive editor, she assists him with stories that should be covered. The latest episode of “Platts Today” can be found on the PSTV Facebook page. The series is planned to continue throughout summer 2020.
The same passion and drive that encouraged Ladstatter to continue the news is what landed him a job he loves.
During the summer of his senior year of highschool, Ladstatter interned with NewsChannel 9, an ABC affiliated television station licensed in Syracuse, where he mostly covered local events and engaged with the community. Nexstar Broadcasting Senior Vice President and Regional Manager, who had an office in the news 9 studio, noticed Ladstatter’s work over the summer. After Ladstatter asked for any work while in college, the vice president contacted Local 22 and Local 44 in Colchester, Vermont.
At this point, Ladstatter had already committed to PSU and became content with the communications department.
“I’ve always liked the community of the communications department,” Ladstatter said. “On the tour, the students looked like they genuinely wanted to be there and the class sizes were smaller. The experience lived up to what they told me.”
Ladstatter didn’t start working with Local 22 and Local 44 until the spring semester of his freshman year. The station covers community events, heartwarming stories and everything else Ladstatter considers to be a “feel good” story.
Eventually, the station told him the internship was just straining credits by the end of the fall semester during his sophomore year. Ladstatter lost an internship but gained a job. The station had offered him a position as a freelance journalist, which he still holds today.
Ladstatter is also the president of the SUNY Plattsburgh National Broadcasting Society Chapter. He and the other members attend conferences to network with other students studying within the communications field.
In addition to other responsibilities, Ladstatter is a student governor of the National Broadcasting Society chapter Alpha Epsilon Rho. He attends meetings with the board of governors to give a student perspective. He enjoys conversing with the other governors about new ideas within the chapter.
When a long day of engaging with the community ends, uplifting his peers and spreading positivity around Plattsburgh had Ladstatter exhausted. He loves to explore nature. When there isn’t a pandemic disrupting normalcy, he can be found hiking or running on a trail somewhere in the Adirondacks or be seen in Our House Bistro enjoying the delicacy of a chicken parmesan macaroni and cheese.
Email Mataeo Smith at cp@cardinalpointsonline.com
