Tom Valcanis
Melbourne
As seen in:
Independent Australia,
The Spectator Australia,
Startup Daily,
Inside Small Business,
Hysteria Mag
Covers:
men's lifestyle, domain names, pop music, rock music, culture, heavy metal, men's issues, internet, technology, small business, lifestyle
Doesn't Cover:
telecommunications
Journalist and copywriter dude. @straczynski is my co-pilot. ad culpam, ab obscuro
Interview
What was your first job as a journalist?
Writing for a small street press in Melbourne, Buzz Magazine.
Have you ever used a typewriter?
Yes. Once.
How is social media changing news?
It's allowing people to produce it and access it easily - which can also carry with it inaccuracies and bias.
How do you prefer to be pitched on stories?
Email - if I'm interested I'll just run it (where possible.)
Why did you become a journalist?
I had a natural inclination to finding things out and telling stories. It's something I had to pursue, had to.
Did you work for your high school newspaper? If so, what did you do there?
I did. The school paper was mostly satirical (think "The Onion" but school related) and I was the Chief of Staff (aka, did everything.)
What story are you most proud of writing or working on?
The story of Aussie 80s hair metal band Escape for Mess
What's the worst pitch you ever got?
It was about a local band who didn't have any recorded material but we were assured they were fantastic.
What's your favorite drink?
Coke Zero.
Aside from your own, what's your favorite publication to read?
Music rags are getting scarce but Iron Fist and Angry Metal Guy are great.
Would you like to take the Muck Rack Interview?
Create a Muck Rack profile.