Dave Gil de Rubio
Verified- Freelance Editor, Freelance
- Editor, Farmingdale Observer
- Communications Publications Writer-Editor, Medgar Evers College, CUNY
- Contributor, Long Island Weekly
Mineola, New York
As seen in:
Farmingdale Observer,
Long Island Weekly,
Time Out New York,
Detroit Free Press,
Flipboard,
The Mercury News,
Observer,
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution,
The Orange County Register,
The Sacramento Bee,
The Morning Call,
TRIB Live
and
Covers:
Arts, entertainment, books, sports, business and music. If I don't think it'll work, I'll let you know.
Interview
What was your first job as a journalist?
Unpaid: First freelance job out of school was for The Island Ear. First paid freelance gig: Long Island Voice. Fulltime: Long Island Press
Have you ever used a typewriter?
Yes. One of the best decisions I ever made was to not only take an intro to typing class in 10th grade, but a refresher course as a senior.
How is social media changing news?
As egalitarian a tool as social media is, the end result is crowding the landscape with people who don't know how to write, much less report.
Who's your favorite fictional journalist?
Lou Grant and Chick Dubinsky.
What does it mean to be a journalist?
Telling the truth, sharing stories and hopefully having a reader learn something they didn't know before they picked up your piece.
What's the funniest news-related #hashtag you've seen?
Pretty much anything John Oliver hashtags on his show.
How do you prefer to be pitched on stories?
Combination of email and phone.
What tools and software do you use to do your job?
Microsoft Office, Facebook, the web, the phone, email, my Rolodex (yes, I still have one of those), texts and insatiable curiosity.
Who do you wish followed you?
Anyone in a position to pay me to be an asset to their outlet.
Why did you become a journalist?
I love to write and tell stories. Couldn't figure out what I wanted to do, but knew I was a pretty good writer and fairly knowledgeable.
Did you work for your high school newspaper? If so, what did you do there?
Yes, I did. I got my start writing about arts and entertainment. That's been a constant throughout my professional career.
What story are you most proud of writing or working on?
So many. Work I did for Urban Latino and Hispanic Magazine. Stories on music venues: Westbury, Paramount, Forest Hills Stadium.
What advice can you offer to aspiring journalists?
Writing is like taking your brain to the gym. The more you do it, the better you get. Go beyond the web to read and learn how to listen.
When's the best time to pitch you?
Email: anytime. On the phone: afternoons.
What's your favorite drink?
Water, Stella Artois and pretty much any fruity alcoholic beverage.
When you're not at a computer, where are you most likely to be?
Spending time with my son, reading, listening to music or playing street hockey in my league based on the Lower East Side.
Aside from your own, what's your favorite publication to read?
I'm a literary omnivore, so no one publication. Everything from Rolling Stone and ESPN Magazine to the New Yorker and NYT.
What's the most common misperception about your beat?
People suggesting you write about any and everything regardless of whether it relates to your beat or not.
Would you like to take the Muck Rack Interview?
Create a Muck Rack profile.