What was your first job as a journalist?
A local blog asked me to attend a city council meeting and report on the public response to an anti-LGBT bill proposal
Have you ever used a typewriter?
Yes! I love the sound of a typewriter. My grandparents had an old typewriter I played with often as a kid
How is social media changing news?
Speed. News outlets struggle to keep up with the real-time reporting on social media, but being first isn't as important as being true
Who's your favorite fictional journalist?
Lois Lane is underappreciated, always on the beat but without the super powers
What does it mean to be a journalist?
Journalism is education for the masses. Giving people the information they need in an accurate and honest way
What's the funniest news-related #hashtag you've seen?
I remember a time when news outlets were new to social media and using full-sentence hashtags. Some very accidental word combos
How do you prefer to be pitched on stories?
I've taken pitches over the phone, through email, and various apps connecting writers and editors. The medium isn't as important as clarity
What tools and software do you use to do your job?
Docs, Word, Dropbox, Google Scholar, PubMed, Notion, Trello, Ahrefs, semrush, Canva
What's your favorite social network?
Twitter around 2013 or 2014 was THE peak social media experience. TikTok is great, and Bluesky is growing on me
Who do you wish followed you?
Joe Bruno, my hands-down favorite local reporter
Why did you become a journalist?
I transitioned out of teaching to pursue writing full-time. Journalism felt like a way to blend my passions for education and writing
Did you work for your high school newspaper? If so, what did you do there?
No, I wasn't aware of my love for writing at the time
What story are you most proud of writing or working on?
I wrote a story on attachment theory for a popular online therapy platform's blog several years ago. I enjoyed learning from the experts
What advice can you offer to aspiring journalists?
Love your writing but hold the words in an open hand. Editors will kill some of our favorite lines, but most of the time it isn't personal
When's the best time to pitch you?
The best time is in the morning (EST), but I'm open for a pitch at all hours
What's the best pitch you ever got?
A SuperPAC asked me to write open-letter blog posts encouraging voters to form a "union" to take back American politics from lobbyists
What's the worst pitch you ever got?
Five years ago a university professor asked me to ghostwrite their 40,000-word book in exchange for exposure via acknowledgement in the back
What's your favorite drink?
It depends, but right now I love The Ritual, a Syrian coffee from a local shop called The Daily Ritual
When you're not at a computer, where are you most likely to be?
Most likely in a corner somewhere with a notebook trying to solve the mysteries of the universe via a fountain pen
Aside from your own, what's your favorite publication to read?
I follow a substack called ClusterHuck, and their articles are a must-read every time
What's the most common misperception about your beat?
Most people think commerce writing isn't real journalism, but I try to give readers tools to make good decisions not just products
