What was your first job as a journalist?
Student newspapers from grade school to university, as well as some zines I created or helped with. Then a newspaper I helped start.
Have you ever used a typewriter?
Yes. I played with my parents' mechanical Olympus in grade school and wrote my first reports in junior on an electric typewriter.
How is social media changing news?
It becomes even faster and more reactive, but unique and authoritative insights are more accessible.
Who's your favorite fictional journalist?
Tintin
What does it mean to be a journalist?
Contributing to or clogging up the public sphere.
What's the funniest news-related #hashtag you've seen?
Can't think of any!
How do you prefer to be pitched on stories?
Briefly.
What tools and software do you use to do your job?
WordPress, Macs, iPhone
What's your favorite social network?
Twitter
Who do you wish followed you?
Like on Twitter? Who cares!
Why did you become a journalist?
It seems to just happen, quite naturally.
Did you work for your high school newspaper? If so, what did you do there?
Yes. Editing and layout.
What story are you most proud of writing or working on?
Working as an editor and co-author with contributing writers at Post Status.
What advice can you offer to aspiring journalists?
Read a lot and find models for superior writing.
When's the best time to pitch you?
Mornings.
What's the best pitch you ever got?
Morning
What's the worst pitch you ever got?
Nothing near as bad as many web development related solicitations and proposals.
What's your favorite drink?
Single malt Islay scotch whiskies and some unusual cocktails made with them.
When you're not at a computer, where are you most likely to be?
The kitchen or bar.
Aside from your own, what's your favorite publication to read?
Sentiers
What's the most common misperception about your beat?
1) Open-source software is free, bad, buggy, insecure, and nobody can make money on it. 2) WP.com is WP.org, and WP.org has an owner.
