What was your first job as a journalist?
Writing a story for my local paper when I did a summer internship at Oak Ridge National Laboratory.
Have you ever used a typewriter?
Yes! Electric and manual!
How is social media changing news?
Properly and judiciously used, it can bring in readers, even print readers.
Who's your favorite fictional journalist?
Managing Editor Sam Gatlin in the 1959 movie "-30-"
What does it mean to be a journalist?
"I'm gong to announce my candidacy in 30 minutes, and you'd better be there!" I wasn't.
What's the funniest news-related #hashtag you've seen?
I'm "old school." I do not pay attention to .
How do you prefer to be pitched on stories?
"Do you think my story might be of interest?"
What tools and software do you use to do your job?
InDesign, WORD, Photoshop, Clean Text.
What's your favorite social network?
Really? For me, SNs are a necessary evil. I suppose Facebook, since I enjoy staying connected with old friends.
Who do you wish followed you?
No one. I prefer subscribers.
Why did you become a journalist?
I got fed up running production in a "corporate" media landscape.
Did you work for your high school newspaper? If so, what did you do there?
Yes, I was the photographer. I was the only kid with a Nikon F. I saved money selling eggs to by my new "F" and a lens. Still have the Nikon.
What story are you most proud of writing or working on?
Despite Floods And Helo Evac, Tennessean Sees Augusta, Montana At It’s Best
What advice can you offer to aspiring journalists?
Seek work with a local, independent media outlet.
When's the best time to pitch you?
When I am laying out my paper and realize I have a few open column-inches.
What's the best pitch you ever got?
Not a "pitch," but when someone just tells me a story and I think it's worth publishing.
What's the worst pitch you ever got?
"I'm going to announce my candidacy in 30 minutes, and you'd better he there!"
What's your favorite drink?
Iced tea, unsweetened. For adult drink, Moonshine. After all, I am from Tennessee.
When you're not at a computer, where are you most likely to be?
Enjoying that I am NOT in front of a computer.
Aside from your own, what's your favorite publication to read?
A very small, independent newspaper, The Jordan (MT) Tribune. True grit, that paper.
What's the most common misperception about your beat?
That covering a small community is boring.
