Journalism student bringing big personality to Detroit’s airwaves

Editor's note: This is the fifth in a series of stories about Bellisario College students completing summer internships.

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa.— When broadcast journalism student Emily McGlynn started looking for a summer internship, she called the five biggest radio stations in Detroit.

Growing up 20 miles outside the city in Birmingham, Michigan, McGlynn was raised on her parents’ musical tastes, which ranged from classic rock hits to obscure deep cuts. Radio has always been a major part of her life, and she has become well-versed in Detroit’s musical past. She loves it all.

“You know how parents take their kids’ phones away?” she said. “When I was punished, my parents would take my radio away.”

After setting aside dreams of performing on Broadway, she wanted to find an industry that would welcome her big personality. She found one in broadcast journalism, a perfect fit for her high energy and love of radio.

She chose Penn State because it was home to the Donald P. Bellisario College of Communications. During her freshman year, she took a first-year seminar course with lecturer Jeff Brown. His extensive overview of the ins and outs of the radio industry became a foundation for McGlynn’s budding career.

Brown, who has a long history in commercial radio, was McGlynn’s go-to person when 94.7 WCSX, Detroit’s classic rock station, returned her call. He guided her through what to expect and how to prepare. After an interview, she was offered a job on the spot. McGlynn felt right at home.

“When I was given a tour of 94.7, it was a very full-circle moment for me,” she said. During the tour, McGlynn was introduced to daytime host Donielle Flynn.

“I was shaking,” she said. “I said, ‘I've been listening to you since I was a kid, and now I'm working here.’ She gave me the biggest hug and told me she was happy I was here.”

This summer McGlynn is a part of the radio station’s promotions team. She is attending three events per week to meet and greet fans from all over the Detroit area. Events have included community gatherings, dog shows, Tigers baseball games and more.

McGlynn promotes contests, talks to listeners and shines as an advocate for one of the most popular radio stations in Detroit. When describing McGlynn, the word that comes to mind for her supervisor “Judge” Jack Johnson is “enthusiasm.”

“Emily routinely demonstrates a cheerful, energetic passion for her work, and spreads that through the team,” said Johnson, event coordinator/promotions at WCSX. “If anyone wants a chance to know a superstar before their time, Emily would be a good candidate.”

McGlynn’s boisterous and friendly demeanor makes her a tailor-made radio personality. In addition to her love of the medium, Johnson said she is a people person with a knack for “small talk.”

“It's an odd talent, but a valuable one in promotions,” he said. “She has a talent for finding common ground with people and expanding on it conversationally.”

McGlynn has been putting that talent to good use while at the Bellisario College. She is entering her junior year and is CommRadio’s arts and entertainment director. Over the past two years, she has become a regular on many of the student-run radio shows, covering a wide variety of topics from reality TV to documentaries to all things music. She co-hosted a program that discussed the reality show “Survivor” (“Surviving Survivor”) and “Nittany Record Club,” CommRadio’s arts and entertainment talk show.

In CommRadio, she found like-minded students who enjoyed talking just as much as she does.

“I was made fun of as a kid for being too talkative,” McGlynn said. “It was a smack in the face, but I kind of figured it out by surrounding myself with the right people who embrace it and see it as a positive.”

McGlynn said she is especially proud of an hourlong interview she did with Michael Jaroh, a member of the Penn State gymnastics team and fellow Michigan native. Jaroh also is a content creator with more than 2 million followers on TikTok.

As she enters the second half of her Penn State career, McGlynn is building skills and polishing her natural abilities. She said improving voicing, interviewing, audio editing and building relationships are all steps she is taking toward her dream of becoming a renowned interviewer like Howard Stern or Conan O’Brien.

There is also another skill she hopes to improve.

“Jeff Brown said that you need to have thick skin to be in this industry,” McGlynn said. “I've worked at restaurants, so I've gained some thick skin, but not as thick as I need it to be.”

She is confident that being friendly and talkative will help, but admits she has a lot to learn.

“There are more layers to it. It’s like an onion,” she said. “I think that I have a good, likeable personality. This is who I am. So, it's very reassuring to me ego-wise, but also career-wise.”

Johnson said, “Emily possesses the qualities that can open any door for her in this industry. She is certainly smart enough to handle the office side of things, but to not put her in front of a mic or camera would be a waste of talent.”

While at WCSX this summer, McGlynn hopes to continue meeting people and learning from the voices she grew up with. She said music and radio create a “big community” that bridges people of different ages, races and religions, and she is happy to be a part of the vaunted musical tradition of Detroit.

Whether at concerts or Tigers games, “Everyone is super happy to be with each other,” she said. “The energy of Detroit is like none other.”