Dan Spears
Verified
(He/Him)
As seen in:
StarNews,
USA Today Co.,
MSN,
Golfweek,
USA Today,
Yahoo Canada,
Yahoo News,
Aol,
Detroit Free Press,
Yahoo Sport UK,
Yahoo Sports,
Yahoo Sports Australia
and
Covers:
acc, unc-wilmington athletics, high school sports, wilmington n.c., running, baseball, college basketball, golf
CCJ Deputy Sports Strategist/@usatodaysports Network; @APSE_sportmedia & @nlgja board of directors member; #CAAHoops #ilm 🏳️🌈👟⛳🏐🥃
Interview
What was your first job as a journalist?
Copy editor, page designer, phone call taker. My immediate boss quit one week after I started. Talk about jumping in the deep end
Have you ever used a typewriter?
of course. I was born in the early 70s
How is social media changing news?
The immediacy of things is amazing, but it also has forced some people to lose focus on the big picture vs. the one right in front of them
Who's your favorite fictional journalist?
I always thought Myra Minkoff from Confederacy of Dunces, would have been a great journalist. Or at least gossip columnist.
What does it mean to be a journalist?
It's an agreement with the public trust, to tell the truth and the stories as best you can.
What's the funniest news-related #hashtag you've seen?
#goacc, started by a former freelance writer here. He graduated from Wake and uses it on all sorts of ACC sports news
How do you prefer to be pitched on stories?
don't beat around the bush. Why is this good?
What tools and software do you use to do your job?
Adobe design (InCopy, InDesign), ATS media desk. I need to be a little more varied with my social media tools though
What's your favorite social network?
Probably Twitter. Storify has some cool potential, although living in a smaller area, it doesn't apply to me as much
Who do you wish followed you?
eh, doesn't matter to me.
Why did you become a journalist?
Started as a TV major, became a print guy because I really enjoyed the depth and digging we do to find the great stories.
Did you work for your high school newspaper? If so, what did you do there?
nope
What story are you most proud of writing or working on?
I've written a lot of stories I've enjoyed doing; maybe my recent favorite was about a pitcher coming back after being hit by a line drive
What advice can you offer to aspiring journalists?
Always put yourself in the other person's shoes. Whatever you think they are gonna do/did/will do, they probably will.
When's the best time to pitch you?
Early in the day, before the tidal wave comes in
Would you like to take the Muck Rack Interview?
Create a Muck Rack profile.