David Olmos
Verified
(He/Him)
Covers:
Oversee coverage of COVID-19, breaking health and medical news; science and innovation; primary care, men's health, women's health, pediatrics.
Executive Director, WebMD and Medscape. Ex LA Times. Views are mine and mine alone. Starting over, reluctantly, after deleting my Twitter account recently.
Interview
What was your first job as a journalist?
Milton-Freewater Valley Herald in Milton-Freewater, Oregon.
Have you ever used a typewriter?
Yes, back in the day. Don't miss them at all.
How is social media changing news?
In too many ways to describe here. I think it's biggest impact is on how news is consumer, understood, and weaponized for political gain.
Who's your favorite fictional journalist?
Prefer real ones. But, Billie from the old Lou Grant TV series.
What does it mean to be a journalist?
You have a big responsibility to try, to the best of your abilities, to tell the truth, to strive for accuracy, and to help explain the world
Why did you become a journalist?
I enjoyed writing and took a lot of English classes, and it was the closest field to those interests. Also came from a journalism family.
Did you work for your high school newspaper? If so, what did you do there?
Very little. Interviewed teachers and staff for newspaper puff pieces.
What advice can you offer to aspiring journalists?
Read a lot, be relentlessly curious, find a good editor, be open to constructive criticism.
What's the best pitch you ever got?
The last one that resulted in a very interesting story.
When you're not at a computer, where are you most likely to be?
Anywhere outdoors in Oregon
Aside from your own, what's your favorite publication to read?
New York Times, STAT News, Axios, Washington Post
Would you like to take the Muck Rack Interview?
Create a Muck Rack profile.