What was your first job as a journalist?
I wrote gig reviews for the local newspaper and national music papers
Have you ever used a typewriter?
This is all we had at home as a child before the ZX81 and the Amiga.
How is social media changing news?
Advertising is driving content and it is becoming harder to determine what influences bias and clickbait is triumphing over evidence.
Who's your favorite fictional journalist?
It doesn't answer this question, but Marina Hyde is a powerhouse. She never fails to deliver compelling copy.
What does it mean to be a journalist?
A commitment to evidence and the truth and a need to understand your reader
What's the funniest news-related #hashtag you've seen?
I find these kind of questions impossible to answer
How do you prefer to be pitched on stories?
Email contact, phone, or through social media
What tools and software do you use to do your job?
Microsoft for the text, Acorn for images, and an assortment of tools for accessing information.
What's your favorite social network?
None, sorry
Who do you wish followed you?
I would like to be stalked by Charlie Brooker
Why did you become a journalist?
I adore the written word, working for myself, and applying my knowledge to inform or entertain.
Did you work for your high school newspaper? If so, what did you do there?
N/a
What story are you most proud of writing or working on?
Cutting through the polarised sides on novel nicotine products to present facts to smokers so they can make informed choices about switching
What advice can you offer to aspiring journalists?
Write.
When's the best time to pitch you?
Anytime
What's the best pitch you ever got?
Being asked to cover the last match at Northampton Town's County Ground
What's the worst pitch you ever got?
The ones that asked for content for free so they could "promote me"
What's your favorite drink?
Lapsang souchong
When you're not at a computer, where are you most likely to be?
Walking the dogs or riding a motorbike
Aside from your own, what's your favorite publication to read?
Viz
What's the most common misperception about your beat?
I'm still waiting for my fat cheque from the tobacco industry
