What was your first job as a journalist?
I was an editorial intern at Time Out Chicago.
Have you ever used a typewriter?
I have. They're tough. NO MISTAKES!
Who's your favorite fictional journalist?
I read mostly nonfiction at the moment. Adventure stories, anyone?
What does it mean to be a journalist?
It's your job to ask the questions the public wants to know, and often the ones they haven't thought of yet.
What's the funniest news-related #hashtag you've seen?
How do you prefer to be pitched on stories?
Send them to my Outside email, please—NOT my personal one. Also, I prefer to receive well-researched stories with a timely hook.
What tools and software do you use to do your job?
I actually use a lot of social media to find information and contacts. It's something we probably would have never guessed 15 years ago.
What's your favorite social network?
I like Instagram for my personal use and Twitter for my professional. Facebook is how I keep in touch with family and old pals.
Why did you become a journalist?
I love to write, and I have a lot of questions.
Did you work for your high school newspaper? If so, what did you do there?
Year book! EIC. Also attended yearbook summer camp.... the ultimate nerd. Holler.
When's the best time to pitch you?
The morning! I'm a morning person and tend to tackle my email first thing in the a.m. Please not at midnight or dinnertime.
What's the best pitch you ever got?
Again, pitches are between the pitcher and pitchee.
What's the worst pitch you ever got?
Never pitch and tell.
What's your favorite drink?
Beer. Also whiskey. Also gin. Also wine. OK, I'm not too picky.
When you're not at a computer, where are you most likely to be?
Outside, obvi ;)
Aside from your own, what's your favorite publication to read?
Currently (always changing), I love: the California Sunday Magazine, the Atlantic, the Trib, the New Yorker, the NYT, the LA Times, +more!
What's the most common misperception about your beat?
Outdoor news: That because it happened outside, we should cover it. It needs to be something our readers care (or should care) about.
