Amanda Salazar
(She/Her)
As seen in:
City & State NY,
Gotham Gazette,
WAKA-TV (Montgomery, AL),
DCReport,
PoliticsNY,
NYCity News Service,
The Ticker (New York, NY),
Canarsie Courier,
City & State Florida
Covers:
politics, community news, environment, energy, school news, CUNY, health
Doesn't Cover:
sports, finance
NYC • 2x @cunyedu graduate • disney college program ‘24 • editorial assistant @CityAndStateNY + @canarsiecourier
Interview
What was your first job as a journalist?
My first ever gig was a freelance story for The Queens Daily Eagle covering the Queens County Fair. I covered and photographed it in person.
Have you ever used a typewriter?
I used a typewriter in elementary school. My dad would bring out my grandma's typewriter and let me practice my vocabulary on it for fun!
How is social media changing news?
One way is that it's spreading our work faster and farther than ever. Stories reach people whether they're searching for the news or not.
Who's your favorite fictional journalist?
Emmaline Cross from the Gilded Newport Mystery series.
What does it mean to be a journalist?
To be a journalist means being committed to honesty, integrity and educating the public.
How do you prefer to be pitched on stories?
I prefer to receive pitches through email.
What tools and software do you use to do your job?
I mainly Google Docs and Microsoft Word to write, TapeACall and voice notes for interviews, and DropBox and Google Drive to organize files.
What's your favorite social network?
I'm old school compared to my Gen Z peers — my favorite social network for personal use is Facebook!
Who do you wish followed you?
Rachel Maddow
Why did you become a journalist?
I love to write but wanted to tell stories that mattered, that would actually be read and that would have impact. That's what journalism is.
Did you work for your high school newspaper? If so, what did you do there?
I did! I was staff reporter for one semester and then editor-in-chief for four semesters. I wrote, copyedited, solicited ads and did layout.
What story are you most proud of writing or working on?
My grad school capstone about how BMI screening in schools impact students, which was published by Undark and The Atlantic.
What advice can you offer to aspiring journalists?
If you want to be a writer, then write. Take every opportunity to get experience in the field. It won't happen without effort.
When's the best time to pitch you?
Anytime during the week.
What's your favorite drink?
My favorite drink, other than water, is chocolate milk!
When you're not at a computer, where are you most likely to be?
I'm most likely to be doing arts and crafts, playing with my cat or taking a walk around the neighborhood.
Aside from your own, what's your favorite publication to read?
I like reading NBC News and The New York Times.
What's the most common misperception about your beat?
People think science journalism is just translating technical jargon. It's also discussing causes, scope and impact.
Would you like to take the Muck Rack Interview?
Create a Muck Rack profile.