Malone
By Erika Malone
I am beyond excited to work for the community and grow my career as a journalist at The Seymour Tribune.
I was born and raised in Jennings County and attended Hayden Elementary School, home of the Haymakers. I attended Jennings County High School and developed my love for writing during this time.
I have always loved being part of a community and wanted to get involved using my passion for writing. I had the opportunity during my time in high school to intern for The Republic in Columbus. It was my dip into the waters of journalism, and I was hooked. I would report on news and interesting stories happening within the school. This gave me my first real experience as a reporter.
After graduating from high school, I attended Ball State University and graduated with a Bachelor of Science in magazine media journalism with a minor in creative writing in December 2022. During my studies in college, I honed my craft in writing feature stories and accomplished many goals.
I had a story published reporting on the lack of testing and health issues regarding private wells in rural areas. The story generated a good amount of attention as it was picked up by the Journal & Courier in Lafayette, The Star Press in Muncie and The Courier & Press in Evansville. This story also was one of many other stories involved in an immersive learning project that won an award for Best Sustainability Education by Muncie Clean & Beautiful.
In August 2022, I had the opportunity to intern with Jackson County United Way and use my skills to help the community. As a media intern, my position was to create long-form content, such as blog posts and newsletters. I also used my skills in creative writing to create point-of-view stories from Jacsy’s perspective. I also designed media posts for different events and came up with new ways to connect with the community through social media.
This internship helped me establish myself more into the community, and I grew a love for Seymour along with it.
In the near future, I hope to plant my roots here in Seymour or close by with my fiance and our cat. Besides writing for the newspaper, I enjoy the art of creative writing, such as fiction, nonfiction and poetry. When I am not writing, I am usually watching movies or spending time with my loved ones.
For me, journalism is more than reporting on the news. It’s a connection with the audience and the community for which you write. In this position, I hope to serve the community and be a voice for our small town.
I am open to anything coming up within the community, so if you would like to contact me, feel free to do so at 812-523-7069 or send an email to emalone@tribtown.com.
