What was your first job as a journalist?
I was a copy editor at The News-Dispatch in Michigan City, Indiana. A great town with a great beach on Lake Michigan.
Have you ever used a typewriter?
Yes!
How is social media changing news?
It's making it a 24-hour-a-day job.
Who's your favorite fictional journalist?
Albert Brooks in "Broadcast News"
What does it mean to be a journalist?
In my niche (LGBTQ media) it means showing people across Ohio that there's a huge community out there that's got their back.
How do you prefer to be pitched on stories?
email
Who do you wish followed you?
Folks who haven't come out yet. Before I came out, LGBTQ media were my window into the community.
Why did you become a journalist?
Because I loved to write. Why do I stay a journalist? Because I love the ideals of my profession.
Did you work for your high school newspaper? If so, what did you do there?
I was a staff member, sports editor, then editor of my high school yearbook.
What story are you most proud of writing or working on?
Every election night I ever worked was a thrill. Especially if my editor brought in dinner!
What advice can you offer to aspiring journalists?
Don't be afraid of your own voice. Too many people try to sound like a "serious journalist" in their writing and dull it down.
What's the best pitch you ever got?
For a story about a group of gay-ghost hunters here in Ohio. They figured SOME ghosts had to identify as LGBTQ...
What's the worst pitch you ever got?
"Can you do a story on (fill in the blank)?"
What's your favorite drink?
Diet Coke
When you're not at a computer, where are you most likely to be?
At a Cleveland MLB game or a Columbus Blue Jackets game
Aside from your own, what's your favorite publication to read?
The New York Times, Vanity Fair
