What was your first job as a journalist?
Photographer.
Have you ever used a typewriter?
Not for anything important.
How is social media changing news?
Speeding up the process of getting information in front of the reader.
Who's your favorite fictional journalist?
Peter Parker
What does it mean to be a journalist?
It means learning a little bit about a wide variety of topics and presenting that information to readers in an enjoyable, concise manner.
What's the funniest news-related #hashtag you've seen?
How do you prefer to be pitched on stories?
Email is the most effective way.
What tools and software do you use to do your job?
There are so many. First would be Notepad to write stories in, second would be Photoshop to edit photos with.
What's your favorite social network?
Twitter.
Who do you wish followed you?
Katy Perry.
Why did you become a journalist?
Hmmmm....
Did you work for your high school newspaper? If so, what did you do there?
No.
What story are you most proud of writing or working on?
Anything to do with local government. Each entity has individual nuances that make them unique.
What advice can you offer to aspiring journalists?
Be curious and question everything.
When's the best time to pitch you?
Anytime, that is the wonder of email!
What's the best pitch you ever got?
From a council member that wanted a story on why the local discount store always ran out of certain items.
What's the worst pitch you ever got?
Some ideas lack depth, but I try to keep looking for something that adds layers to a story.
What's your favorite drink?
On duty, water. Off duty, Pinot Noir.
When you're not at a computer, where are you most likely to be?
At a sports event.
Aside from your own, what's your favorite publication to read?
I really do not read a lot.
What's the most common misperception about your beat?
Well-written stories do not take long to produce.
