What was your first job as a journalist?
My first professional job was local news and human interest for the local newspaper. I was their youngest correspondent ever.
Have you ever used a typewriter?
Yes. I worked on a typewriter for years, including at the start of my professional career.
How is social media changing news?
It makes information infinitely more accessible and creates new connections that wouldn't otherwise exist.
Who's your favorite fictional journalist?
Dan Rydell, Josh Charles' character in Sports Night. Will McAvoy, Jeff Daniels' hero in The Newsroom, is second place.
What does it mean to be a journalist?
I can illuminate, I can teach, and I can inspire. I have the platform to help people share their stories and make people's lives better.
How do you prefer to be pitched on stories?
Over email, with the more detail the better. I like to see all the information and have a chance to review and research before responding.
What tools and software do you use to do your job?
Anything and everything that helps me, whether it's high-tech apps and software to low-tech books and old-fashioned notes.
What's your favorite social network?
I'm still partial to Twitter, because of all the friends I've made there I'd never have met otherwise.
Who do you wish followed you?
Aaron Sorkin. He inspired my entire career, and I've been lucky enough to meet him. I'd love to learn more from him.
Why did you become a journalist?
At heart I'm a storyteller, and journalism is storytelling with real people and events. It's my mission to help and inspire others.
Did you work for your high school newspaper? If so, what did you do there?
I was nominated for an LA Times student journalism award for my coverage of the 9/11 attacks. I also wrote features and a TV and film column.
What story are you most proud of writing or working on?
I'm proud of many stories for different reasons. But having Adam Levine publicly compliment my journalism on a red carpet is one highlight.
What advice can you offer to aspiring journalists?
Get into this field because you love it, not because you want to be famous or get perks. Love the little things as much as the big ones.
When's the best time to pitch you?
Late morning to early evening. I work sometimes late into the night, so I'm rarely around in the early morning unless I have an appointment.
What's the best pitch you ever got?
The best pitches are the ones where I can tell someone knows my work and have their own ideas. I'm not just a name on a generic mass email.
What's your favorite drink?
Cherry Pepsi.
When you're not at a computer, where are you most likely to be?
Still in front of a computer, as my background is in screenwriting and I'm still writing scripts every day.
Aside from your own, what's your favorite publication to read?
I read all of the major websites every day to keep appraised of the entertainment news, sports news and national news.
What's the most common misperception about your beat?
That I just walk up and talk to famous people. It takes an incredible amount of work to get those few awesome moments in the spotlight.
