What was your first job as a journalist?
In fourth grade my friend Michael T. and I became the editors and publishers of Dear Friend, a student newspaper.
Have you ever used a typewriter?
yes. smith corona.
How is social media changing news?
we are being slowly robbed of our ability to think critically at the same time that we're being slowly overwhelmed with information
Who's your favorite fictional journalist?
that one person in that thing
What does it mean to be a journalist?
marshaling facts and evidence to support narratives that expose how power, harm, and legitimacy (or lack thereof) maintain injustice
What's the funniest news-related #hashtag you've seen?
i dunno man
How do you prefer to be pitched on stories?
quietly.
What tools and software do you use to do your job?
MuckRock
What's your favorite social network?
that thing at the dog park where you start to notice how your dog interacts with the others and attune your interactions with their humans.
Who do you wish followed you?
nobody.
Why did you become a journalist?
because I understand the power of narrative to change things
Did you work for your high school newspaper? If so, what did you do there?
no.
What story are you most proud of writing or working on?
i can't talk about it yet.
What advice can you offer to aspiring journalists?
get a day job
When's the best time to pitch you?
mid-morning.
What's the best pitch you ever got?
nobody pitches me.
What's the worst pitch you ever got?
pass.
What's your favorite drink?
Fizzy water with lime.
When you're not at a computer, where are you most likely to be?
walking. preferably under a canopy of trees.
Aside from your own, what's your favorite publication to read?
Inquest: A decarceral brainstrom
What's the most common misperception about your beat?
that immigration status is static, binary, and real.
