What was your first job as a journalist?
11Alive News. I was on the Help Desk. Then I wiggled into digital.
Have you ever used a typewriter?
Yes. Even when computers were widely available. I wrote several middle school papers via typewriter.
How is social media changing news?
It's making stories too rapid. Much more than what cable news did. It's both the catalyst for change and a terrible boon.
Who's your favorite fictional journalist?
Jeff Daniels as Will McAvoy in HBO's "The Newsroom."
What does it mean to be a journalist?
We are the ones who have the keys to educate the masses. Let's do it correctly.
What's the funniest news-related #hashtag you've seen?
I don't read hashtags, my dude.
How do you prefer to be pitched on stories?
Give me the important details. The old who, what, when, where, and why.
What tools and software do you use to do your job?
Word, Adobe products and a computer.
What's your favorite social network?
YouTube. Instagram has become too preachy.
Who do you wish followed you?
Kaitlin Collins <3
Why did you become a journalist?
I want to write the truth. And be entertaining while doing so.
Did you work for your high school newspaper? If so, what did you do there?
Nope! I was playing sports. No offense.
What story are you most proud of writing or working on?
56 news stories and videos in 28 days for Black History Month.
What advice can you offer to aspiring journalists?
SOURCE. Find many sources. Don't fall into the trap of following what you know. Go out of your comfort zone, question everything, and read.
When's the best time to pitch you?
Morning. I am the smartest in the morning.
What's the best pitch you ever got?
Covering a special interview at CNN with Jake Tapper and a US Official.
What's the worst pitch you ever got?
Top 100 Baby Names of the Year. It was March. At a local news station. And it killed, unfortunately.
What's your favorite drink?
Whiskey neat, baby!
When you're not at a computer, where are you most likely to be?
On the couch or in the gym.
Aside from your own, what's your favorite publication to read?
The New York Times.
What's the most common misperception about your beat?
There's no depth to entertainment media.
