WXVU’s listeners instantly recognize the voice. David Szczepanski’s signature energy and expertise transport his audience from their cars or residence halls to the excitement on the field or court. You feel like you are there, part of the action, even if you couldn’t make it to the game.
On Thursday, October 10, 2024, Szczepanski shared that infectious energy, reliable expertise, and journalism experiences at Villanova with students in Journalism 2023, a Fall 2024 course that meets on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 1 to 2:15 PM in Tolentine 405. Villanova junior and WXVU Sports Director David
Szczepanski visited Journals 2023 on Thursday, October 10
andshared his experiences as a student journalist
A junior Communication major from the Port Richmond section of Philadelphia, Szczepanski serves as the Sports Director, Villanova Basketball/Football broadcaster, and Founder/Host of “Villanova Sports Talk” on WXVU 89.1 FM, Villanova’s student-run radio station, located on the second floor of Dougherty Hall.
Szczepanski’s deep commitment to his craft extends beyond WXVU’s airwaves. A self-proclaimed lover of talking, he serves as a Villanova Sports Network Broadcast Spotter and a Premium Services Host with the Philadelphia Phillies. He also founded the television station – HGPTV – at his high school, Holy Ghost Preparatory School in Bensalem, Pa.
“Going to games and covering sports,” Szczepanski asked, “could there be a better job?” Szczepanski loves traveling and exploring different cities, and his WXVU position allows him to scratch that itch. He travels extensively with teams to cover games, bringing that action to our earbuds. Most recently, Szczepanski has reported from Madison Square Garden in NYC and Stony Brook on Long Island.
Whether he’s reporting from the sidelines, pre- or post-game, or providing play-by-play coverage – standing throughout the game – Szczepanski strives to truthfully represent what he’s seeing and hearing so that his listeners remain informed. Context is key, Szczepanski said. Reporting information accurately and positioning it in its proper context helps journalists build trust with their audience and sources.
In addition, preparing for interviews in advance and asking smart questions helps student journalists develop their interviewing skills as they build rapport with sources.
“Instead of saying, ‘The offense was terrible. What happened,?’ say, ‘Coach, the defense played extraordinarily well tonight, but what happened with the offense? What didn’t work tonight?’” Questions framed more positively generally solicit greater and more nuanced responses and exchanges, allowing a journalist to go deeper, Szczepanski said.
Coming in with a playful, unique question – not a gotcha question but an unexpected and fun question – often relaxes the person you’re interviewing. For example, Szczepanski’s go-to question – What’s your favorite cheesesteak in Philly? – disarms his subjects. They might even smile as they share their answer.
For the record, Kyle Neptune, Head Men’s Basketball Coach at Villanova, doesn’t have a favorite cheesesteak spot, favoring an arguably healthier clean and grass-fed diet, because that is what the players eat, especially during the season, as revealed during a sit-down interview with Szczepanski. Completely fine – more Cheez Whiz for the rest of us.
It’s important to remember that relationships between journalists and their sources are professional relationships, not personal ones. One of the many journalist responsibilities to their audiences is to ask tough, challenging questions to get to journalistic truth, and to be critical when appropriate. This gets complicated when the reporter and their sources are personally close.
Public Relations and Journalism are distinct, Szczepanski said. “It seems like the two are confused or conflated at times. Public Relations is concerned with promoting an individual or an organization, and with communicating certain messages that make an individual or organization look good,” Szczepanski reminded us. “Journalism looks for the real story and the facts.”
Active on social media, Szczepanski strives to share his reporting with a wider and wider audience in ways that they access information. Follow him here. And here. He’s also creating more and more videos, setting up his iPhone on an inexpensive tripod and reporting in video formats. Szczepanski, a one-person reporting/recording machine, seeks to develop his video production skills as he reaches broader audiences through this media. He’s doing it all, from producing the content to adjusting the lighting.
According to its Web site, WXVU went on the air in 1991 when the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) granted an educational license to Villanova University. On August 24, 2022, WXVU began full-time FM operations for the first time in its history. WXVU now broadcasts on the 89.1 FM frequency 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Tune in and you’ll hear student DJs hosting music programs featuring multiple genres, from rock and pop to jazz, alternative, and country. On Fridays at 9 AM during the semester, you’ll hear “The Morning Roar,” the first morning show in the history of WXVU. Student hosts bring listeners the latest news, weather and sports, along with conversations with Villanova community members and newsmakers.
You can listen on 89.1 FM, on the WXVU Web site, on the RadioFX app, or on-demand via the station’s podcast feed and YouTube channel.
Opportunities for Villanova students to get involved with media organizations on campus abound. VTV, the Villanovan, WXVU, Tech Crew, and the Belle Air Yearbook always need dedicated, reliable, and interested students who seek to inform our community as they strengthen their reporting, interviewing, writing, editing, and other journalistic skills. Contact these groups to learn more.
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Kate Szumanski, ’95, ’97, teaches Journalism 2023 through the English Department at Villanova University. She also serves as the Director of Professional Development and Internships in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at Villanova. Kate wrote this blog post with support from the great David Szczepanski, ’26.
