What was your first job as a journalist?
Public information specialist for the United States European Command, Paris Post.
Have you ever used a typewriter?
Oh, yes!
How is social media changing news?
For the worse!
Who's your favorite fictional journalist?
Brenda Starr
What does it mean to be a journalist?
"To see the world clearly and to see it whole, and to so portray it!" (from a former journalism professor)
How do you prefer to be pitched on stories?
Brief email, then a follow-up telephone call.
What tools and software do you use to do your job?
Microsoft Word when I'm connected; 4x6 notecards and a pen when I'm not. Or a pencil and a napkin, in a pinch.
What's your favorite social network?
Instagram
Who do you wish followed you?
Garrison Keillor, Lester Holt, Robet Fulghum
Why did you become a journalist?
I had stories to tell.
Did you work for your high school newspaper? If so, what did you do there?
Yes. Reporter, copy editor, editor-in-chief.
What advice can you offer to aspiring journalists?
Learn to ask the right (important) questions, and hang in there.
When's the best time to pitch you?
Early afternoon? Maybe? Or late at night? Or first thing in the morning? All times are good, because I may not check my email regularly!
What's the worst pitch you ever got?
"We can't pay you, but you'll be featured on our website."
What's your favorite drink?
Red wine, preferably Chilean Carmenere.
When you're not at a computer, where are you most likely to be?
At an airport.
Aside from your own, what's your favorite publication to read?
A cruise brochure -- any cruise brochure!
What's the most common misperception about your beat?
That travel is always fun!
