Alex Koma
Verified
As seen in:
WAMU-FM (Washington, D.C.),
Medium,
Scribd,
Here & Now Anytime,
NPR,
Yahoo Finance,
Flipboard,
Washington Business Journal,
Washington City Paper,
WLRN-FM (Miami, FL),
KUOW-FM (Seattle, WA)
and
Covers:
Development, housing issues, gentrification, displacement, transportation and politics around the D.C. region, from the District itself to its suburbs.
Senior D.C. politics reporter, WAMU 88.5. Pittsburgh born and forever a Hokie. Send story ideas or spam to akoma(at)WAMU.org. @wemakewamu member.
Interview
What was your first job as a journalist?
My first professional job in journalism was as a producer at NBC 29 in Charlottesville, Va., though I did plenty in college to prepare.
Have you ever used a typewriter?
No, I'm not enough of a hipster for that.
How is social media changing news?
It certainly makes a good story easier to find, by showing you what issues people from certain backgrounds find interesting/controversial.
Who's your favorite fictional journalist?
Gus Haynes, from The Wire.
What does it mean to be a journalist?
I enjoy trying to learn something new for a story, then sharing what I've uncovered so others can learn something new as well.
How do you prefer to be pitched on stories?
Normally by email, phone calls can be a bit inconvenient.
What tools and software do you use to do your job?
Google Drive is essential for sharing with coworkers/staying organized, as are Slack and Trello.
What's your favorite social network?
Twitter, even if it can be maddening at times.
Who do you wish followed you?
If Andy Greenwald of HBO/The Ringer saw fit to be interested in my opinions on pop culture, that'd be quite something.
Why did you become a journalist?
My mom is a journalist, which encouraged me to get started with it, then I fell in love with newspapers in my high school newsroom.
Did you work for your high school newspaper? If so, what did you do there?
I wrote sports and music reviews for the paper, as well as doing copyediting and page design, since we were a staff of about 10.
What story are you most proud of writing or working on?
I managed to hit a really tight deadline and read and analyze every "state of the state" address delivered by a governor in early 2016.
What advice can you offer to aspiring journalists?
Find as many opportunities to start writing/reporting as you can, and be relentless in tackling them.
When's the best time to pitch you?
Mid-afternoon, after I've gotten a chance to do some writing/interviews.
What's the worst pitch you ever got?
I once had a PR person tell me they liked my story, link to it, and then get my name (and gender!) wrong.
What's your favorite drink?
A stiff bourbon and ginger, or old fashioned, are about as good as it gets.
When you're not at a computer, where are you most likely to be?
Either with my friends, out at some form of sporting event or outside, preferably all three at the same time.
Aside from your own, what's your favorite publication to read?
Probably The Washington Post, since I grew up with it, but FiveThirtyEight, the NYT Magazine and Vox are close behind it.
What's the most common misperception about your beat?
My beat might seem dry at first, but understanding how technology can make government more open or empower the downtrodden is fascinating.
Would you like to take the Muck Rack Interview?
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