Emma Chekroun

Emma is the Managing Editor at The Wake and the Off the Record host and producer at Radio K
Graduation year
2021
Hometown
Colorado Springs
Major
Professional Journalism

What is your major and what made you decide to pursue it?
Right now I am a journalism major, and I decided to pursue journalism after watching the movie Almost Famous and deciding I wanted to be a music journalist. Along the way I ended up finding a passion for reporting.

What has been your favorite part of your experience at the Hubbard School?
By far all the professors I have met through my major. Having so many adjunct professors who are still actively engaged with the world of journalism has helped me foster connections and get a feel for who becomes a journalist in the "real world."

What journalism class or professor has had the biggest impact on you?
Sarah Lemanczyk and Regina McCombs. Regina's Multimedia Production and Storytelling class was where I first discovered my love of audio journalism and I was then able to cultivate that in Sarah's podcasting class.

What minors, internships, or activities are you pursuing outside of your major? 
In addition to having a journalism major I also hope to minor in art history. When I'm not in class I am the managing editor at The Wake and the Off the Record host and producer at Radio K. Being someone who knew they wanted to do music journalism but didn't know how to go about it, discovering art history has been a great way to add a minor that enriches my study and gives me more experience with the field I hope to report on. My two jobs have been absolutely life changing and given me tools to not only become a better reporter and music critic, but also how to manage a team and have the confidence to lead. 

What course would you recommend for other students in your major?
If you are interested in audio journalism, absolutely take the special interest podcast class. It is a great opportunity to work with industry standard equipment and start working with tools you wouldn't have access to otherwise.

What is your dream job?
Producing and hosting my own local music show or podcast.

What advice do you have for future Hubbard School students?
Don't be afraid to find the journalism field that you are passionate about. Music journalism is a very niche market and I was afraid I would never be able to get experience in it before graduating. Many times I felt sad or defeated because my passion was audio and I wasn't working with that a lot, but when I realized that was the medium I enjoyed and communicated stories the best through, that is when I started getting the most out of the J school.

What is one aspect of your major that surprised you/ you did not know about?
I never expected that I would be so in love with audio as a way to tell stories.

What do you wish you had known about your career path before now?
How unpredictable it could be, and how fast it could move. I spent a lot of my sophomore year being anxious about how to and where to start my journalism career and essentially went from not knowing what AP Style was to producing news features on a regular basis, to then becoming the editor for other up and coming journalists. It's frustrating at times but you have to trust the process.
 

Emma Chekroun