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Meet Dispatch entertainment and things-to-do editor Emily Rohozen

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Meet Dispatch entertainment and things-to-do editor Emily Rohozen

(Editor’s note: This article is part of a weekly series featuring Columbus Dispatch journalists and their work in our community.)

To be The Dispatch’s entertainment and things-to-do editor means to be immersed in pop culture. From music and movies to travel and books, I have interest in it all.

I am a metalhead and a Swiftie. (I am in my “Midnights” era, by the way.) I rave when the beat drops and I’ll go head-to-head with anyone over classic-rock trivia. I am the stereotypical millennial full of angst when My Chemical Romance comes on my speakers, and If you don’t believe me, take a ride in the car with me to have your own personal concert — you choose the genre.

“Ugh! As if!” and “So fetch!” have a chokehold on me as someone who grew up in the late ’90s and 2000s. But unsurprisingly, you’ll also occasionally hear me ask (in a British accent), “An African or a European swallow?” when someone points out or references the bird, or “’tis but a scratch” when I injure myself in a somewhat extreme way.

I’ll take spur-of-the-moment trips whenever I feel as though I need a new view, and you’ll catch me with a novel in hand while relaxing at home, on an airplane, during a road trip and anywhere in between.

So, having a career where I can cover everything that interests me is a fitting opportunity for me to bring the “fun” news to the community.

Why I became a journalist

My choice to be a journalist was yet another spur-of-the-moment decision. (I make those kinds of decisions quite frequently.) Before going to college, my parents asked me to decide my major — and literature, creative writing or art weren’t acceptable answers. It wasn’t until I attended a Cleveland Guardians baseball game in 2013 that I decided to be a journalist. During the game, I thought to myself, “Man, it would be really cool to write about baseball as a job.”

So, with that, I told my parents, “I will major in journalism,” and they took that as an acceptable answer.

How did entertainment journalism come into play?

I spent my long hours in sports and news, both as a reporter and editor in each area. I’ve experienced the long months of fall sports, practically living out of my car and eating quick meals on the road. I’ve endured hours-long county commissioner meetings and court trials. If you ask me which area of journalism I prefer, I will tell you entertainment, all the way.  

I am in the business of fun news. I get to learn about incredible, inspiring people in the community doing amazing things. I get to bring the news of exciting activities to the community and hopefully put smiles on faces.

What stories stick out to me?

In my early days of journalism, I was a reporter in small southeastern Ohio communities, at papers that gave me the opportunity to be named an Editor and Publisher magazine “25 Under 35” news leader in America. In those communities, I’ve covered stories that have made me cry and stories that have made me see just how bad the world can be. But, I’ve also covered heartfelt stories.

Some of my favorites include witnessing a small-town rivalry unfold in an OHSAA Division II boys basketball game where the underdog took down a dynasty of success from the other, and covering the Circleville Pumpkin Show in full and observing how much a local festival meant to that community (and the pumpkin doughnuts were a welcome perk while working that week).

I will always remember working in those communities because the people you meet in those towns have only one personality: genuine. I knew that if my car were to ever break down in little Corning, Ohio, (which was an actual worry for me because I pushed my luck a lot with car reliance back then), I would have no service to call for help, but the people there would gladly pull over to help me out.

I guess that’s what I enjoy most about being a journalist: the community connections you make. It’s a reward to meet wonderful people in the community.

A little bit about me

I travel as much as possible with my husband. We enjoy exploring new cities, countries and sights. Whenever I am going to a new place, you will see me hauling my camera bag around to hopefully find the perfect opportunity for a beautiful photo.

I coach young softball pitchers — I was a previous collegiate and professional softball player. I experienced professional athletics in The Netherlands, which probably poked that travel bug in me; now it won’t rest.

I also like to hike and run when my washed-up athlete’s body lets me have a day of no pain.

I got my journalism degree from the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown. Going to school on top of a mountain in a city once named as a Top 10 “Least happy American region” really makes you have a new appreciation for the Columbus scene. Although many may disagree, I find Columbus to be an optimistic place with great weather!

Emily Rohozen may be reached at erohozen@dispatch.com.

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