What was your first job as a journalist?
Hyperlocal reporting OntheWight
Have you ever used a typewriter?
No but I think it would be a good discipline.
How is social media changing news?
It's making it more interactive.
How do you prefer to be pitched on stories?
A concise email
What's your favorite social network?
Twitter
Why did you become a journalist?
Insatiably curious, concerned with communicating the truth of any given problem, and love to write.
Did you work for your high school newspaper? If so, what did you do there?
I worked for The Warwick Boar, student weekly, for 3 years as reporter, then Features editor, then Contributing editor.
What story are you most proud of writing or working on?
The leak of Dame Janet Smith's review on Jimmy Savile's crimes, with David Hencke.
What advice can you offer to aspiring journalists?
Empathy is crucial because these are often painful stories. Look for exclusives. Shorthand & data journalism skills are always handy.
When's the best time to pitch you?
Morning
What's the best pitch you ever got?
"Alex I'm really busy can you do this phone interview with Tim Minchin?"
What's your favorite drink?
Tea.
When you're not at a computer, where are you most likely to be?
Meeting people.
Aside from your own, what's your favorite publication to read?
Private Eye
What's the most common misperception about your beat?
That it is callous? Journalists tend to cover the worst that can happen: the response is usually to be stoical, but with a lot of empathy.
