What was your first job as a journalist?
I was the writing editor of The Wareham Week in Wareham, Massachusetts, which basically meant I ran the whole paper. It was a trial by fire.
Have you ever used a typewriter?
Yes! It's a real workout for your fingers, let me tell ya.
How is social media changing news?
It's making it easier to share news, but also making it easier to share misinformation and lies that are hard to get on top of to correct.
Who's your favorite fictional journalist?
None. Every single journalist I have ever seen portrayed in any medium is a total jerk, and I just want to smack them.
What does it mean to be a journalist?
Telling the truth, even when it's ugly.
How do you prefer to be pitched on stories?
By email.
What tools and software do you use to do your job?
Google Docs, Lightroom, PACER, and other records systems.
What's your favorite social network?
Twitter.
Who do you wish followed you?
Dan Rather, Kai Ryssdal, Molly Wood, Kathy Moran, Glenn Greenwald, and Peter Baker.
Why did you become a journalist?
Because I hate not knowing things, and the truth matters to me.
Did you work for your high school newspaper? If so, what did you do there?
No. I still don't even know if we had a paper!
What story are you most proud of writing or working on?
As of right now, my investigative series into the 2017 death of Tommy Le is my best and — in my opinion — most important work to date.
What advice can you offer to aspiring journalists?
Whatever you do, don't give up. Get the eff out of bed and get to work.
When's the best time to pitch you?
Morning or afternoon.
What's the best pitch you ever got?
Too many to choose!
What's the worst pitch you ever got?
Whenever a company tries to pitch me on an expensive product or service that 99 percent of us mortals — including myself — can't afford.
What's your favorite drink?
Right now? Coffee, decaf or caffeinated.
When you're not at a computer, where are you most likely to be?
Working out in our small home gym, or reading on the couch or in bed.
Aside from your own, what's your favorite publication to read?
WAY too many. The New York Times, National Geographic, The Washington Post, The Atlantic, The New Yorker, The Intercept ... and more.
What's the most common misperception about your beat?
That it doesn't take a toll on me.
