Belle DuChene
As seen in:
MSN,
HGTV,
Better Homes and Gardens,
Do It Yourself Magazine,
My Modern Met,
Inside the Magic,
A Spicy Perspective,
Grown and Flown
Covers:
Lifestyle, home, travel, fashion, food & dining.
Interview
What was your first job as a journalist?
Assistant news editor of my college newspaper.
Have you ever used a typewriter?
Yes, when I was a kid. I also took it apart to see how it worked and naturally couldn't reassemble it. (Sorry, Dad!)
How is social media changing news?
Social media democratizes publishing so anyone can be a publisher. But not everyone should be a publisher, perhaps.
Who's your favorite fictional journalist?
I do not have one.
What does it mean to be a journalist?
For me it's the best job for the curious, creative, and precocious baby Belle whose keen sense of observation and independence are useful.
What's the funniest news-related #hashtag you've seen?
I don't pay much attention to hashtags anymore. (The struggle to desert them was real).
How do you prefer to be pitched on stories?
Via email.
What tools and software do you use to do your job?
Ain't nobody got time to read that list.
What's your favorite social network?
Instagram
Who do you wish followed you?
Elon Musk.
Why did you become a journalist?
In truth I tried really hard not to become a journalist. But some things are just meant to be.
Did you work for your high school newspaper? If so, what did you do there?
I was a reporter before I was a co-editor my senior year.
What story are you most proud of writing or working on?
I wrote a story for Reader's Digest when I was 14. What a start!
What advice can you offer to aspiring journalists?
Capitalize on your love of storytelling with a solid foundation of writing and research.
When's the best time to pitch you?
Morning.
What's the best pitch you ever got?
I really can't recall. There have been some great ones! I used to be on the PR side so I read them all, even if I can't respond.
What's the worst pitch you ever got?
Almost anything on LinkedIn
What's your favorite drink?
Wine (red). Or vinho verde on hot days.
When you're not at a computer, where are you most likely to be?
On the floor with a glass of wine, playing with my two cats and dog.
Aside from your own, what's your favorite publication to read?
Travel + Leisure
What's the most common misperception about your beat?
Misogyny tends to perk up its head when I mention that I write for eCommerce and love fashion and travel. Is it shopping? Yes, yes, it is.
Would you like to take the Muck Rack Interview?
Create a Muck Rack profile.