Emma Brustkern is a digital content producer at We are Iowa – Local 5 News. A graduate of Drake University, Emma is committed to telling stories with accuracy, nuance and compassion.
THEN
Hailing from the Iowa City area, Emma Brustkern began her journalism career in 2015, when she took an Introduction to Journalism class as a sophomore at Iowa City West High School. The course ignited her passion for reporting.
Emma’s love of journalism is what led her to attend Drake University. During her first year on campus, Emma became the Online Assistant Editor for Drake Mag, the campus lifestyle magazine. In her sophomore year, Emma became Features Editor of The Times-Delphic, a weekly student newspaper, and was promoted to associate editor, and eventually managing editor, of Drake Mag.
While the COVID-19 pandemic presented a roadblock in Emma’s career, she trudged forward. Early in the pandemic, Emma covered everything from rural mental healthcare to the inherent queerness of astrology. When Emma returned to Drake’s campus, her excitement about journalism was reinvigorated. As News Editor of The Times-Delphic, Emma covered COVID outbreaks in the residence halls. Her work inspired a petition signed by more than 1,000 individuals, urging Drake to release COVID case numbers. Her coverage of the controversy also led to a subsequent article by the Des Moines Register and the eventual release of weekly COVID-19 updates by the university.
Before the start of her senior year, Emma Brustkern had the opportunity to intern at the Indianola Independent Advocate, an online local newspaper in Indianola. There, she covered city council, COVID-19, local infrastructure, the National Balloon Classic and more. As a senior, Emma served as editor-in-chief of The Times-Delphic, where she dedicated herself to improving the paper’s digital strategy and bringing issues of diversity to the forefront. Her pet project, The Weekly Wrap-Up, was a weekly newsletter promoting the TD’s best work from throughout the week.
NOW
As a digital content producer at Local 5 News, Emma is responsible for writing, drafting and copy editing digital content. No day looks quite the same: her time is split between covering breaking news, writing and reporting on her own digital stories, scheduling content for social media/streaming and optimizing stories from the latest broadcast for online readers.
Emma and her teammates operate under the belief that every newsroom should be “digital first.” In keeping with this mindset, Emma is committed to utilizing SEO best practices, promoting digital content and monitoring key data points to increase the station’s digital presence across all platforms.
In her free time, Emma can be found reading, thrift shopping, watering her (many) plants or spending time with her fiancée and their two cats, Georgia and Willow.
