Allen Leister
Verified
As seen in:
KEPR-TV (Pasco, WA),
KOMO-TV (Seattle, WA),
WJLA-TV (Arlington, VA),
EIN News,
NewsBreak,
WPEC-TV (West Palm Beach, FL),
KATU-TV (Portland, OR),
WBMA-TV (Birmingham, AL),
WKRC-TV (Cincinnati, OH),
KUTV-TV (Salt Lake City, UT),
WJAR-TV (Cranston, RI)
and
Covers:
There is nothing I don't cover, but my speciality is anything in the political realm.
Doesn't Cover:
I cover everything, but I try to stay away from any type of culture reporting.
EST. Shelton, WA. | First-Gen College Grad | WSU | Italian American 🇮🇹🇺🇸 | Former @GHDailyWorld Reporter | Current @keprtv Reporter/Producer/Anchor
Interview
What was your first job as a journalist?
I worked as a Sports Reporter for The Daily Evergreen, a student-run Newspaper at WSU, covering football, girls' basketball, and girls' golf.
Have you ever used a typewriter?
Not professionally. I tried once at needless to say, it didn't turn out well.
How is social media changing news?
It's making news come out a lot faster and accessible, but that doesn't always mean it's fully accurate.
Who's your favorite fictional journalist?
I think Clark Kent counts as a Journalist if we're being technical, so I'll say him.
What does it mean to be a journalist?
It means to inform your community about what is going on, not just within their four walls, but beyond.
What's the funniest news-related #hashtag you've seen?
Watch any IG Reel from AlexHollyTV. It will brighten your day for sure.
How do you prefer to be pitched on stories?
Slacks and a dress shirt.
What tools and software do you use to do your job?
I mostly use AVID Media Composer and a Sony Camera.
What's your favorite social network?
Instagram
Who do you wish followed you?
I wish AP News would follow me, but that's a wild stretch for what I do currently.
Why did you become a journalist?
I developed a passion for Politics and speaking/writing. Seemed like a good middle point.
Did you work for your high school newspaper? If so, what did you do there?
I didn't actually. It took me until almost the end of my Senior Year to figure out that I wanted to pursue a career in journalism.
What story are you most proud of writing or working on?
I'm proud of any piece that involves putting a spotlight on one person for a good reason.
What advice can you offer to aspiring journalists?
Just be authentic and invested. Some of the best quotes/soundbites you'll get are when people believe you truly care about the issue at hand.
When's the best time to pitch you?
Perferably at the beginning of the day.
What's the best pitch you ever got?
To cover a Lego convention. Best day of my journalistic life.
What's the worst pitch you ever got?
There have been a few, but one of the strangest I got was to cover a local resident who was on the Discovery Channel show 'Naked & Afraid'.
What's your favorite drink?
Black Coffee
When you're not at a computer, where are you most likely to be?
I love getting outdoors and exploring the great outdoors, especially as someone born and raised in the Pacific Northwest.
Aside from your own, what's your favorite publication to read?
AP News or Al Jazeera
What's the most common misperception about your beat?
That we only cover bad news. We like to cover good things going on in the community, too.
Would you like to take the Muck Rack Interview?
Create a Muck Rack profile.