Jonathan Kermah is a senior Journalism and Communications double major who created the Amherst Wired Podcast Network, which houses an assortment of student podcasts and interviews from UMass Amherst’s student run online magazine Amherst Wire.
What made you want to create the Amherst Wired Podcast Network?
I created the Amherst Wired Podcast Network because I’ve been a fan of podcasts since high school, and I wanted to diversify the media we had on Amherst Wire beyond just written content.
How has the Amherst Wired Podcast Network grown?
The network started with my podcast 808s & Ankle Breaks, the hip hop and basketball based podcast. Amherst Wire's Managing Editor and fellow Journalism senior Trevor Wilson and I released episodes every week during the summer of 2018, which were the only episodes on the network. Since then, many students have joined the network covering content that they enjoy talking about. Some topics include video games, soccer, politics, movies, and campus news.
Do you have your own podcasts on the network?
I have two podcasts on the network. The first is my previously mentioned 808s and Ankle Breaks podcast, where Trevor Wilson and I talked about our favorite new hip-hop albums and all things NBA. My second podcast was the Editor in Chief podcast, where I interviewed different writers and important figures on campus. My favorite episodes include my conversation with one of my childhood friends and UMass Basketball’s walk-on athlete Davonte Higginbottom, as well as my conversation with sleep expert Dr. Rebecca Spencer.
What is your role at Amherst Wire? What type of impact have you made as a leader?
Each semester it felt like my role changed. I went from writer to assistant entertainment editor, to entertainment editor and podcast editor, to editor-in-chief. This year my job as a leader was about putting our younger staffers in the best position to succeed. That means I coordinated our meetings and our publishing schedule. I also took pride in training as many students as I could one-on-one. Sometimes that included training on using podcast editing software and other times that meant assisting a writer in finding the best way to conduct research and coverage for a story.
What were some of your best moments at Amherst Wire over the years?
I think my favorite days came as the entertainment and podcast editor. I had so much fun creating different types of content with my team. One of my favorite stories was an entertainment staff ranking of the Marvel Cinematic Universe movies. I loved how our team came together and decided the order of the ranking, and also how it left room for writers to show their voice when writing up brief opinions on the individual films. Another favorite moment for me was going to New York for a day with the staff last year. That day we visited NBC studios and The City newsroom. That same day I learned I would be promoted to Co-Editor in Chief the following semester.
Now that you're finishing your senior year, what does the future of podcasting look like at the Amherst Wire?
One thing I took pride in was the great variety we attempted to showcase. This year we added “Podcheck,” a podcast researching and highlighting important subjects like vaping and Coronavirus. We also added “The Reel Deal,” a film-based podcast. I hope to see the future Amherst Wire staff diversify podcast content even further.
What is your dream job and how do you plan to incorporate podcasting into your next position?
My dream job is to be a staff member of my favorite website and podcast network, The Ringer. This summer I will be an intern on their audio team. I’m hoping to bring new ideas to the table and learn how to take my audio editing skills to the next level.