Alumna Brittney Ermon has been a passionate journalist since her first day at Ball State. From NewsLink and the Daily News to Connections Live and WCRD, Ermon was involved in various student media organizations that led her to pursue her passions on television as a bilingual reporter for WMTV NBC 15 in Madison, Wisconsin. We sat down with Ermon to learn more about how student media paved the way for her success, and what happened after CCIM.
Writer: Caitlen Ramey, Department of Journalism Student • Interviewer: Chris Zurisk, Telecommunications Student • Video: Ball State UMS
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What extracurricular activities were you involved in?
I loved everything about Ball State which is why I stayed there for 6 years. I graduated in 2017 with my Bachelors in Telecommunications, Journalism and Spanish then went on to graduate with my Masters in Journalism in 2019. I was involved from day one and wanted to soak up every ounce of knowledge I could. I joined NewsLink during my freshman year and stayed until I graduated with my Masters. I also dabbled in the The Daily News to learn more about the print side of journalism. I joined WCRD radio and became a news director there. I really wanted to develop my voice, learn how to think on my feet and answer questions fast. But I also built my portfolio in the world of entertainment through my time at Connections Live which really allowed me to be more laid back and develop a different type of voice compared to news.
“Before I graduated, I had six years of experience working with equipment, creating packages and newscutter which I use today in my professional life.”
Did you have a favorite place on campus?
Absolutely. I loved being in the Unified Media Lab and never had a bad experience there. From the moment I walked in to when I left, everything was memorable. I just loved the atmosphere because everyone in there has the same passion for journalism. I gained so many skills and friendships that I wouldn’t have been able to gain anywhere else. It really did become my second home on Ball State’s campus.
Looking back at your time at Ball State, was there a professor that really made an impact on you?
One of my favorite professors has to be Terry Heifetz. He was just someone that really showed he cared about his students. He always acknowledged what students had to say and if you needed any advice he was the professor that you would go to. Heifetz was the person that really encouraged me and told me that news was something I was good at. There is always that one person in your life that tells you that you have the skills to succeed and looking back, Terry Heifetz was that person for me.
How did the skills you learned from your time at Ball State, give you an edge in the job market?
Ball State is different from other universities because you can go in and get real world, hands on experience from day one. Through my undergrad career when I was a part of student media, the skills that I learned from freshman year carried into my graduate years which also helped in my career. Before I graduated, I had six years of experience working with equipment, creating packages and newscutter which I use today in my professional life. When I walked into WMTV NBC 15, I knew how to work the cameras, how to approach telling a story and edit because of my time at Ball State. Every experience that I had from my time made there me well-rounded so that when it was time to enter the professional world I was going to be ahead of the curve.
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