What was your first job as a journalist?
Tahlequah Daily Press. My boss said, "I'll give you an article. If I like it, you're hired. If I don't, you're fired." No pressure.
Have you ever used a typewriter?
Yes! But not for journalism. I'm what Jaboukie Young-White calls a 'vintage millennial,' which means we had typewriters when I was in diapers
How is social media changing news?
People now want news immediately and free. They complain, "Why do newspapers have paywalls?" Well, we never handed out free papers either.
Who's your favorite fictional journalist?
TV: Kent Brockman. Newspaper: Rita Skeeter. Editor: Perry White.
What does it mean to be a journalist?
Not everyone can speak for themselves. We are storytellers and cultivators of sources.
What's the funniest news-related #hashtag you've seen?
I know they're pretty old, but I liked those philosoraptor memes.
How do you prefer to be pitched on stories?
I like it when friends come to me with a good story.
What tools and software do you use to do your job?
I shoot my own pictures with my Nikon.
What's your favorite social network?
Goodreads.
Who do you wish followed you?
It would be nice to get my kids to follow me.
Why did you become a journalist?
I was writing every day anyway. Why not get paid for it?
Did you work for your high school newspaper? If so, what did you do there?
No way. I'm dyslexic and I thought that I was a total idiot. Now that I write politics people still think I'm dumb but for different reasons.
What story are you most proud of writing or working on?
I have loved covering stories on how people have made changes to accommodate their circumstances amid living during COVID-19.
What advice can you offer to aspiring journalists?
There are two ways to learn how to write better: 1. Read more, and 2. Write more.
When's the best time to pitch you?
Not in the morning. Send me an email. If we're friends, text me.
What's the best pitch you ever got?
Too many good ones.
What's the worst pitch you ever got?
I like my job. This would pose a conflict of interest. It exists.
What's your favorite drink?
Hot chocolate, i.e. Angelina, Paris.
When you're not at a computer, where are you most likely to be?
Well, it's a pandemic right now, so I'm still on a computer. However, I like to travel. I'd probably be in a car visiting who-knows-what.
Aside from your own, what's your favorite publication to read?
Washington Post, New York Times, Salt Lake Tribune, NPR, The Atlantic, The New Yorker, The Economist, Foreign Affairs.
What's the most common misperception about your beat?
Who would have thought that school board meetings were this much fun?
