Public Relations Senior Helps Expand and Diversify Newhouse Social Media

Newhouse student Giana DiTolla was called into a meeting with the dean. 

Was the senior nervous? Yes. Was she in trouble? Not in the slightest. 

In fact, DiTolla, a public relations major, impressed Newhouse Dean Mark J. Lodato during her presentation in the spring about analytics for the school’s social media accounts. It’s rare for a student to provide that kind of detailed report to the dean. 

The experience also shows the impact that DiTolla has had on Newhouse, especially as one of the leaders of the school’s student social media team.  

“Dean Lodato was appreciative of my findings and the time I took to compile it all,” said DiTolla, who is on schedule to graduate in December. “I was incredibly nervous, but luckily my bosses were there to support me.” 

She practiced and worked closely with faculty and staff who work with the student social media team, as well as Danielle Noriega, a Newhouse NYC faculty member who specializes in social media analytics.  

During her presentation, DiTolla shared impressively researched information about the best performing content, year-over-year growth and diversity of student takeover demographics.  

Throughout her time at Syracuse University, DiTolla’s leadership and organizational skills have shined at the Newhouse School.  

She arrived at Syracuse after having grown up on the West Coast, itching for a new experience after high school. When choosing a university, her main priority was finding a school in the east with a strong public relations program. 

“My grandma told me I’d work in PR before I even knew I was going to do it because I’m a people person and always wanted to talk with everyone,” she said. “My parents said that I was talking like an adult since I learned to speak.” 

During DiTolla’s first year at the University, Newhouse NYC director Cheryl Brody Franklin and Newhouse director of admission Julie Walas asked her to post a takeover on the Newhouse Instagram page. Since then, DiTolla has transformed into a social media strategist, content creator and leader to her fellow students, helping to expand the school’s presence onto TikTok and greatly diversifying the type of content being posted.  

“Giana is so easy to work with, and it’s why we have loved having her be part of the team since day one. She is the first student member of our student team, so she’s someone all the students look up to and respect. She’s professional, kind and organized,” Brody Franklin said. 

DiTolla credits Newhouse social media’s growing success to an increase in stories featuring students from diverse backgrounds and organizations.  

“We have a more targeted direction in terms of what we want our content to be and what types of stories we tell to show what the Newhouse school has to offer,” she said. “We have students and alumni in very cool spaces. There’s someone doing something cool every day.” 

DiTolla aims to inspire prospective students who are viewing Newhouse through social media and ensure an easier college research process for those who may not be able to visit campus easily. She hopes to show current students the opportunities that are available to them by highlighting the involvement of their peers. 

The Newhouse social media team increases in size every year, requiring DiTolla to buckle down on organization. She’s developed more concrete systems to manage the various roles of the team, created promo images, pitched ideas and organized detailed content calendars to schedule social posts, while also overseeing asset collection for Instagram takeovers.  

“More and more people want to get involved with the Newhouse social media team to get their name out there and to start building a network within Newhouse,” DiTolla said. 

She attributes her passion for communications to her PRL 214 course, Writing for News and Public Relations in a Digital Age. A class where, among many portfolio projects, she analyzed ice cream company Ben and Jerry’s’ corporate social advocacy efforts.  

“She creatively assessed the relevance of committing to a controversial stance in a given political climate and recognized a company’s ability to raise awareness about societal issues,” said Erika Schneider, an assistant professor of public relations who taught the course. “Her ideas started conversations about PR ethics that are still relevant years later.” 

In addition to Newhouse, DiTolla works in social media for two other campus organizations: Jerk Magazine and K-pop dance group Cuse Krew. She serves as the co-cultural chair of Asian Students in America and belongs to the Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility student group working at the Syracuse Abroad office. 

After graduation, she hopes to land a full-time role in social media, content strategy or creation, confident with what the Newhouse School has taught her.  

“I’m so much better than when I came in,” DiTolla said. “I feel ready to go into the workforce because I understand the general structure of companies and I have a grasp of what I may do in the real world because of client work I’ve done in classes.”