What was your first job as a journalist?
Freelance writer and wrote the Spring edition of Ag in the Classroom for NDSU on pollinators
Have you ever used a typewriter?
Yes, an old IBM Selectric when I was in junior and high school typing my papers
How is social media changing news?
making it accessible anytime, anywhere. However, it doesn't give in-depth journalism a platform. People want information in "sound bites"
Who's your favorite fictional journalist?
Ted Baxter
What does it mean to be a journalist?
Being objective and providing both sides of the story regardless of who your readers are. Provide something different than they've read
What's the funniest news-related #hashtag you've seen?
I can't recall
How do you prefer to be pitched on stories?
an email with just a premise in a few sentences to see if it grabs my attention. I like digging for stories though
What tools and software do you use to do your job?
Microsoft Teams, Office 365, BLOX, Grammarly
What's your favorite social network?
Twitter
Who do you wish followed you?
Helena Bottemiller Evich, Judy Woodruff
Why did you become a journalist?
I wanted to tell the story of ranchers and farmers and be involved in agriculture
Did you work for your high school newspaper? If so, what did you do there?
No, I disliked English in high school
What story are you most proud of writing or working on?
My first. It took a lot of work pretending to look into the minds of 3rd to 5th graders.
What advice can you offer to aspiring journalists?
Start a blog and write what is important to you. Enter your pieces to contests
When's the best time to pitch you?
I'd prefer email, so any time. I think better after I've had a couple of cups of coffee
What's the best pitch you ever got?
I am new to this craft, So I haven't received one yet
What's the worst pitch you ever got?
I haven't received one yet
What's your favorite drink?
Coke Zero
When you're not at a computer, where are you most likely to be?
Watching the News (Int'l) or watching PBS
Aside from your own, what's your favorite publication to read?
Wall Street Journal
What's the most common misperception about your beat?
Livestock producers are not conservationists
