In January, Popielarz began a new assignment covering the first 100 days of the Donald Trump presidency as a national political reporter and White House correspondent for Spectrum News. Since his graduation from Quinnipiac in 2015 with a bachelor’s in journalism, it is just one stop in a journey that has taken him across 23 states and two European countries, Poland and Belgium. It also secured him an Emmy nomination in 2021.

“I’m 10 years into it and I’m still as motivated as ever to be in journalism,” said Popielarz. “It’s important work that is necessary for the state of our democracy and also because people need to be informed.”

A self-described “theater kid,” Popielarz has always felt comfortable in front of an audience. He sharpened his communication skills further at Quinnipiac’s student-run Q30 Television, where he learned to craft news stories and connect with viewers through the camera.

“Q30 became kind of an escape for me. There was a group of us, and we basically spent 30 to 40 hours a week working, whether it was as an anchor or executive producer, it became an outlet for me,” he said. “By senior year, I was able to put together a professional TV newsreel solely of stuff I had done through Q30.”

Today, it’s his ability to meet audiences where they are — especially through social media — that has allowed him to engage new viewers and stay closely attuned to public interests and concerns. 

“It’s going to take a new generation of reporters who are plugged in, on TikTok and streaming on YouTube, to reach those who are unwilling to read the newspapers,” said Popielarz. “We need to be where our audiences are online. That’s what it’s going to take to earn people’s trust.”

Popielarz credits his experience at Quinnipiac, and specifically his former professor and advisor Karin Schwanbeck, associate professor emeritus, for preparing him for the realities of the profession. 

“She was the mentor of all mentors,” he said. “She was very realistic about what the job was going to be like, telling me, you’ll probably move somewhere unfamiliar, to a small town, and you’re going to have to hustle.”

That advice proved prophetic. 

After an internship as an NBC News investigative unit intern at 30 Rock during the summer of 2015, Popielarz began his first reporting job that fall as a multimedia journalist at ABC 57 News in South Bend, Indiana. He quickly found himself drawn to political stories, covering everything from local ribbon-cuttings to then-Governor Mike Pence being picked as Trump’s running mate. He was also on the ground covering the 2016 Republican National Convention in Cleveland, Mike Pence’s ascension to vice president and South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg’s bid to chair the Democratic National Committee following the 2016 election. 

Those early experiences helped Popielarz build a national political reporting reel that caught the attention of Spectrum News. 

“I uploaded it to LinkedIn, and a Spectrum recruiter found it and contacted me,” he said. “And here we are, almost seven years later.”

Based in Washington, D.C., Popielarz joined Spectrum News in 2018 and first covered national politics through a local lens, reporting on Capitol Hill for viewers in Ohio, and traveling throughout the state covering regional and national politics with a focus on Ohio. 

Now as a White House reporter, he lives by the president’s schedule. 

“People might think it’s mapped out days in advance, but most of the time we wait until the night before,” he said. “Then it’s like, ‘tomorrow the president is doing this,’ and that dictates everything — what time we’re up, what stories we’re chasing.”

While TV was his foundation, Popielarz is keenly aware of the shifting media landscape. As a student, he was initially hesitant to join social media. He once polled fellow students in a Quad News op-ed about whether he should get on Twitter. However, he quickly adapted and now utilizes social platforms as more than a vehicle to communicate. He even calls X (formerly Twitter) his “reporter’s notebook.”

“I don’t write anything by hand anymore,” he said. “X is where I keep notes, post clips and track everything. It’s searchable, archivable and essential, especially in political journalism.”

Popielarz learned just how powerful social media can be in 2021, when a Zoom interview he conducted with Ohio Congressman Jim Jordan went viral with what seemed a confirmation that he had spoken with Trump on January 6, 2021. Previously, the congressman had said he wasn’t sure if he had spoken to Trump before, during or after the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol.

“We had this exchange during a Zoom interview, and he kind of stumbled on the answer,” said Popielarz. “It was viewed more than 3 million times on X/Twitter and all the big news outlets picked it up, including Last Week Tonight with John Oliver.” 

Popielarz’s interview was also cited in a subpoena that the January 6 committee filed against Jordan, and it was brought up again in the congressional hearing.

To meet audiences where they are, he has also embraced new storytelling formats, particularly explainer videos. From a whiteboard series in the D.C. bureau to short social videos from the White House lawn, he strives to demystify complex political issues. He believes that connecting through platforms like TikTok, YouTube and X is essential to journalism’s future.

“People want informal, digestible content. They want a conversation,” he said. “If interviewing hundreds of people from all over the country has taught me anything, it’s that people need access to reliable information and often don’t know where to get it.” 

As a reporter covering the Trump administration, he also knows how crucial it is to stay connected on social media to remain current on White House decisions as they are announced in real-time.

“I have alerts set for everything. I’m constantly plugged in to keep up with all of the news and remain informed,” said Popielarz. “So much news breaks on platforms like X and Truth Social that if you're not following key accounts and engaging with them, you're out of the loop.”

Popielarz encourages students to stay adaptable and embrace the ever-changing media landscape. He advises learning how to quickly produce vertical videos, condensing stories into engaging short formats, and the thoughtful use of tools like AI — not as replacements for journalism, but as aids in the reporting process. He stresses the value of experimenting, exploring and taking full advantage of opportunities, like joining Q30.

It's why a decade after graduating, he still draws on the lessons he learned at Quinnipiac, whether he’s prepping for a daily briefing or dashing across the White House lawn to put together a story package on YouTube. That proximity to power has underscored just how consequential presidential actions can be — and how essential it is for journalists to report the news accurately and responsibly.

“Something will happen, and you’ll think, ‘Oh, that’s not a big deal,’ but then the stock market plunges. It’s a humbling reminder of the weight of the office, no matter who holds it,” said Popielarz. “When you’re at the White House, you’re reminded that anything and everything the president says or doesn’t say, is news. Because your audience cares. The world cares.”