Blair Bigham
Journalist @CMAJ | ICU & ER doc | editor @UofT_IJB | prof @UofT_DLSPH @uoftmedicine | author #DeathInterrupted ~via @Stanford @LSHTM @McMasterU
Interview
What was your first job as a journalist?
I wrote for paramedic industry magazines before pitching a fentanyl story to VICE.com as part of my journo training at U of Ts Munk School
Have you ever used a typewriter?
For about ten seconds. Maybe less.
How is social media changing news?
Social media makes news travel quickly and broadly- which means journalists have to get it right because errors spread like wildfire.
Who's your favorite fictional journalist?
Neil Gaimen and Robert Ludlum
What does it mean to be a journalist?
Journalists spark public discourse with facts and analysis that lead to collective evolution of our society towards Utopia. And cat memes.
What's the funniest news-related #hashtag you've seen?
Funny? How about clever: #reeradicate came up after measles - which was eradicated in my hometown - came back because of low vax rates.
How do you prefer to be pitched on stories?
A pitch should be brief and meaty. Tell me something I don't know that my mom might want to know and we're on to something.
What tools and software do you use to do your job?
I'm sorry, that's secret :) As a scientist, I use a lot of databases and analytic programs & old-fashioned Freedom of Information requests.
Who do you wish followed you?
There are too many great health writers to name. But I'd love for the ghost of famed doctor-writer Oliver Sacks to retweet me sometime.
Why did you become a journalist?
Stories form the backbone of medicine. As a doctor, I hear stories every day; stories that I want to share. At home and abroad, I have heard tales of injustice and misery.
Did you work for your high school newspaper? If so, what did you do there?
My high school was small and didn't have a newspaper!
What story are you most proud of writing or working on?
I've done some investigations that have held both government and private industry to account. I'm proud of the changes that has led to.
What advice can you offer to aspiring journalists?
Never compromise the truth.
When's the best time to pitch you?
I'm an emergency resident. I'm up 24/7.
What's the best pitch you ever got?
It's in the works right now, so stay tuned :)
What's the worst pitch you ever got?
Colleagues pitch me everyday. Many are great ideas, but awful stories - people who have deep content knowledge forget the emotional angle.
What's your favorite drink?
A simple latté
When you're not at a computer, where are you most likely to be?
Running around the emergency department.
Aside from your own, what's your favorite publication to read?
As a freelancer I read broadly, but I love a good travel story. Roads and Kingdom always helps me vividly experience the world while at home
What's the most common misperception about your beat?
Many health care workers shy away from talking to the media because we "oversimplify." I say we make complex topics meaningful.
Would you like to take the Muck Rack Interview?
Create a Muck Rack profile.