What was your first job as a journalist?
Will you hate me if I told you I've only ever been a blogger?
Have you ever used a typewriter?
I was in high school in the 80s so we were taught how to type on IBM Selectric typewriters. I owned one but I always used computers.
How is social media changing news?
News can't control the narrative any longer.
Who's your favorite fictional journalist?
Kilgore Trout
What does it mean to be a journalist?
Both reporting and interpreting the world—but without undue influence.
How do you prefer to be pitched on stories?
Just ask. I am always looking for interesting things to write about. If you're in it for the SEO, it'll cost you. Otherwise, I'm earned media
What tools and software do you use to do your job?
Facebook and Google.
What's your favorite social network?
I am always on Facebook and I am never on LinkedIn and I visit Twitter as much as I can. And, Instagram is where I play.
Who do you wish followed you?
Malcolm Gladwell and Lucy Kellaway
Why did you become a journalist?
As a way to try to understand the world and the people and cultures that inhabit it—and myself.
Did you work for your high school newspaper? If so, what did you do there?
Yes! I did. I wrote for the insert that had to do with current events outside of the school. I wrote an article about HIV/AIDs in '86.
What story are you most proud of writing or working on?
I wrote an article for AdAge called Has Second Life Cut Its Mullet? back in 2009 that I really loved writing. Cutting edge stuff!
What advice can you offer to aspiring journalists?
Write yourself into the job you want to have and the beat you want to have. And, start with your own content. Be like Milana Vayntrub!
When's the best time to pitch you?
11AM EST
What's the best pitch you ever got?
Whenever there's a handwritten note I am like putty. FierceHazel does an awesome job.
What's the worst pitch you ever got?
Anyone who calls me "Sir or Madam"
What's your favorite drink?
A quad espresso
When you're not at a computer, where are you most likely to be?
A cafe.
Aside from your own, what's your favorite publication to read?
I hate to admit it but I peruse Reddit a lot. And whatever anyone's sharing on Facebook. I also listen to a lot of podcasts.
What's the most common misperception about your beat?
As a blogger, I get to exclusively write what I love and what interests me.
