What was your first job as a journalist?
writing short factoids about my hometown of Cleveland, Ohio for the Cleveland Plain Dealer.
Have you ever used a typewriter?
yes, when I was young!
How is social media changing news?
short new bits are overtaking well-researched reasonable chunks of information - I hope to find a happy medium
Who's your favorite fictional journalist?
Jack McEvoy from "The Poet," by Michael Connelly
What does it mean to be a journalist?
Being fair, accurate, responsible, asking good questions, knowing when to be quiet, and finding people who will help you tell great stories.
How do you prefer to be pitched on stories?
sending me an email, but show me why you have a good story, don't just tell me it's a good one
What tools and software do you use to do your job?
word, excel, audacity and my iPhone
Why did you become a journalist?
because I wasn't (even though I tried) going to be the third baseman for the Cleveland Guardians
What advice can you offer to aspiring journalists?
learn how to use the phone, be persistent, write well, but don't let perfection get in the way of telling a good story
When you're not at a computer, where are you most likely to be?
outside with my dogs, family and softball teammates
Aside from your own, what's your favorite publication to read?
Feature stories in the Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg and Esquire up until about 2015.
What's the most common misperception about your beat?
education writers only care about the SAT and test scores
