What was your first job as a journalist?
As a freelance camera grip for during the Astros-Mets National League Championship Series.
Have you ever used a typewriter?
Si
How is social media changing news?
It's made it Johnny Easy. It's easy to track, document story subjects. Easy to track trends. It's bent the paradigm of news-gathering.
Who's your favorite fictional journalist?
Perry White
What does it mean to be a journalist?
At the end of the day, you have better stories to tell at happy hour.
What's the funniest news-related #hashtag you've seen?
All of them
How do you prefer to be pitched on stories?
There's no right or wrong as long as it's interesting.
What tools and software do you use to do your job?
Tsk-tsk. That's a trade secret.
What's your favorite social network?
Twitter
Who do you wish followed you?
POTUS
Why did you become a journalist?
Because it's a never-ending education. I get paid to read, contemplate, experiment, hypothesize, problem-solve, listen, observe, and inquire
Did you work for your high school newspaper? If so, what did you do there?
Yes, in a tiny Mississippi town
What story are you most proud of writing or working on?
Ask me at the end of my career
What advice can you offer to aspiring journalists?
Throw away the pronouns, "I, me, my". It's not about you. If it's about you, it's not news. Avoid hubris. Never cease to be amazed.
When's the best time to pitch you?
After I've had coffee. NEVER before.
