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Bryan Gottlieb on Muck Rack

Bryan Gottlieb

Verified
Detroit, New York, United States
Covers:  Large-Scale Construction, Heavy-Civil Infrastructure. Government and Regulatory Oversight, Transportation, Technology, Macro Economics, M&A, Environment, Finance, Energy, and Water Use
Doesn't Cover: Residential construction
Business writer covering infrastructure, transportation, energy and construction. SPJ award-winning writer. Editor at @ENR

Interview

What was your first job as a journalist?

Covering a then-nascent internet advertising medium called the World Wide Web.

Have you ever used a typewriter?

Yes

How is social media changing news?

The need to 'grab eyeballs' incentivizes bombastic and least verifiable story elements into a post's teaser copy at the expense of accuracy.

What does it mean to be a journalist?

To share stories that reflect life in the community accurately. Stories that have a purpose for the benefit of readers.

What tools and software do you use to do your job?

Otter.ai, Zoom

What's your favorite social network?

LinkedIn

Who do you wish followed you?

My kids!

Why did you become a journalist?

Because it's my way to participate in the civic engagement obliged by citizenship.

Did you work for your high school newspaper? If so, what did you do there?

No, I founded my high school's Literary Magazine.

What story are you most proud of writing or working on?

Detailing the descent of the city of Detroit into Chapter 13 bankruptcy, its ramifications, and its subsequent rebirth.

What advice can you offer to aspiring journalists?

Don't let the low pay, job instability, and shifting ground deter you from what is rightly called "The Fourth Estate."

When's the best time to pitch you?

Any time

What's the best pitch you ever got?

Do you like Kurt Vonnegut? Do you want 20 minutes with him for an interview?

What's the worst pitch you ever got?

Those that have nothing to do with the audience I serve.

What's your favorite drink?

Basil Hayden and a straw.

When you're not at a computer, where are you most likely to be?

Reading or playing tennis.

Aside from your own, what's your favorite publication to read?

The Economist

What's the most common misperception about your beat?

It's boring.

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