Pittsburgh’s Public Source has added five new members to its news, audience and business teams this year, drawing a range of talented and experienced professionals from nearby neighborhoods and far-flung cities.
The hires reflect Public Source’s continued focus on reaching more Pittsburgh-area residents with journalism that is rigorous, useful and rooted close to home.
“We’ve heard again and again that people want journalism that feels relevant to their lives and their communities,” said Halle Stockton, Public Source’s editor-in-chief and co-executive director. “These additions help us deepen that work through strong accountability reporting, more intentional audience engagement and a stronger foundation for reader-supported journalism.”
Returning to the team is Oliver Morrison, who reported for Public Source from 2017 to 2022 before taking on roles for 90.5 WESA and PennLive. Oliver reprises his former role covering the environment and health, for which he won a national Edward R. Murrow award, bringing added journalistic and investigative experience to the job. A Troy Hill resident, he graduated from Deep Springs College, the University of Oxford and earned a master’s degree in journalism from the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at the City University of New York.
Oliver was drawn back to his old stomping grounds by Public Source’s balance of hard-hitting investigations, community-focused relationship building and visual storytelling. Oliver, who is originally from Seattle and remains a staunch fan of the (Super Bowl champion) Seahawks, was impressed by how these elements blended together in Public Source’s recent coverage of the NFL Draft. He hopes to bring that same level of insight and depth to the region’s waterways, air quality, research hospitals, old infrastructure, emerging medicines, addiction challenges, government assistance and, when necessary, whatever health advice Aaron Rodgers is offering.
Coming from further afield is Penny De La Cruz, who spent five years as a television news producer for News 6 WKMG in Orlando, Florida and KSAT 12 in San Antonio, Texas. Penny got to know Pittsburgh while completing her bachelor’s degree at the Reed College of Media at West Virginia University. Now the audience producer for Public Source, she works to maximize the reach of the newsroom’s journalism and produces its social media, including Instagram reels.
Throughout Penny’s time in television, she covered major breaking news events including hurricanes Ian, Nicole, Helene and Milton, the Robb Elementary School mass shooting in Uvalde, Texas, the disappearance and murder of Madeline Soto and ICE agreement disputes between Orange County and the state of Florida.
The change from TV to Public Source’s nonprofit newsroom has been a breath of fresh air for Penny. She believes spreading news and information is the best way to get people involved in their communities. With a passion for local journalism and engaging storytelling, Penny is excited for this next chapter in her career.
Mia Hollie has family roots in Pittsburgh, but grew up in New Jersey. After getting her master’s degree in journalism from the Newmark J-School, she used data-driven reporting to cover elections, transportation and public housing in New York City. Her work in the Big Apple earned recognition from the Sidney Hillman Foundation and the Newswoman’s Club of New York. At Public Source, she’s covering economic development and housing, turning her data tools and people skills toward the built environment’s effects on communities and residents.
Even more interesting to Mia than Pittsburgh’s manufacturing and industrial roots is its present-day orientation: A city that’s home to a uniquely strong tech ecosystem and a handful of large nonprofit institutions that drive the economy. The number of renters continues to grow at the same time as Pittsburgh faces a housing shortage — even as thousands of homes and lots sit vacant. She’s excited to bring fresh eyes to these issues at Public Source.
Alayna Hutchinson also holds a master’s degree in journalism, hers from Temple University, and wrote for Public Source on a freelance basis in 2024 and 2025. She joins the team full time as the membership and communications associate, helping to manage donations and support fundraising and audience growth efforts. A Beaver County native, she studied as an undergraduate at Ohio University, and worked in education and public relations in Washington, D.C. prior to pursuing her graduate degree.
Moving to the business side of the newsroom has been an exciting transition for Alayna. She now uses her storytelling skills to help audiences connect with Public Source’s mission and understand why it’s worth supporting. She believes local journalism is critical to keeping communities informed and engaged, and she’s thrilled to contribute to its sustainability in the region where she grew up.
Lucas Dufalla takes on a newly created position as Public Source’s southern communities reporter, focused on Allegheny County’s southern suburbs and Mon Valley. A Pittsburgh native, he interned for Public Source in 2023 while off for the summer from Bowdoin College. After graduating, he spent two years as a business reporter at the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.
Lucas’ favorite part of his time in Arkansas was meeting the people who called Arkansas home through his reporting, whether it was by covering a city council meeting or canoeing on the Mississippi River. He is excited to dive deep into Allegheny County’s southern communities by telling stories about the people and places that shape the region.
The team brings new energy and perspectives to Public Source, but doesn’t change the newsroom’s focus on deeper reporting on issues and communities in and around Pittsburgh.
Rich Lord is the managing editor at Pittsburgh’s Public Source and can be reached at rich@publicsource.org.
