What was your first job as a journalist?
My first journalist-adjacent job was as a sports columnist at the California Aggie.
Have you ever used a typewriter?
Only for a novelty. Never seriously. I have often wondered if it would be beneficial to try, because I am constantly self-editing as I go.
How is social media changing news?
I believe that it is getting us the news as quickly as possible before an actual story is written. This can be good and bad.
Who's your favorite fictional journalist?
Right now, it has to be Betty Cooper on Riverdale! She is a high school student whose beat apparently covers the entire city’s seediest side.
What does it mean to be a journalist?
Being a journalist means going above and beyond to ensure that whatever it is that you are reporting is as informative as possible.
What's the funniest news-related #hashtag you've seen?
I have seen so many good ones, but my favorites are often the ones where one stupid quote or typo becomes a national phenomenon for one night
How do you prefer to be pitched on stories?
Email, but I am open to anything.
What tools and software do you use to do your job?
My iPad and computer, the internet, books, my own knowledge, sources who I know, social media, local leads.
What's your favorite social network?
Twitter. I spend way too much time on it, and it is a great way to meet new people all around the world.
Who do you wish followed you?
No one in particular. Just anyone who would be willing to offer me advice, help me out, and be there as I try to make it.
Why did you become a journalist?
Journalism combines my passion for writing with my love of current events, be it in news, sports, politics, entertainment, or elsewhere.
Did you work for your high school newspaper? If so, what did you do there?
No, we didn’t have one.
What story are you most proud of writing or working on?
I believe my best work has been a piece I wrote for Sactown Royalty following their Black Lives Matter partnership.
What advice can you offer to aspiring journalists?
Write. Write everything. Don’t just put words to paper, find your voice. Your words mean nothing if they aren’t coming from a genuine place.
When's the best time to pitch you?
The morning is best, but I am free any time for the right pitch.
What's the best pitch you ever got?
Somebody once asked me to write my thoughts on any book, so I wrote about the social implications of “Everyone Poops” and made $10.
What's the worst pitch you ever got?
Not one in particular, but I have never liked ones that allow for much creative freedom (breaking news exempt)
What's your favorite drink?
A glass of wine or a cup of Diet Dr. Pepper
When you're not at a computer, where are you most likely to be?
In front of a television set yelling at the NBA playoffs because nothing in sports ever goes my way.
Aside from your own, what's your favorite publication to read?
Honestly, The Onion may be it. I believe that effective satire shows a mirror to us in ways that even some of the best journalism cannot do.
What's the most common misperception about your beat?
That sports are only about what’s on the field. I have covered some of the most important issues facing us through the lens of sports.
