Fired up to write it down.
Interview
What was your first job as a journalist?
I started reporting for The College Reporter at Franklin & Marshall College in Sept. 1983.
Have you ever used a typewriter?
I love how typewriters sound. That manual clickity-clack is stuck in my head. Musically stuck.
How is social media changing news?
Everyone's a writer. Everyone's a reporter. Except everyone isn't.
Who's your favorite fictional journalist?
Howard W. Campbell, Jr. in *Mother Night* by Kurt Vonnegut
What does it mean to be a journalist?
Journalists represent. We present a point of view, in order to represent the reader's interests, and we present the truth as best we can.
What's the funniest news-related #hashtag you've seen?
How do you prefer to be pitched on stories?
e: dburn@adpulp.com
What tools and software do you use to do your job?
Firefox, WordPress, a desktop iMac, and iPhone.
What's your favorite social network?
LinkedIn (for its publishing features)
Who do you wish followed you?
Wealthy patrons who love to read.
Why did you become a journalist?
For the pay.
Did you work for your high school newspaper? If so, what did you do there?
Nada
What story are you most proud of writing or working on?
I am writing a science fiction story, and this surprises me. And since I don't know how it ends, I imagine I will surprise myself again.
What advice can you offer to aspiring journalists?
Become an expert in a field other than journalism, then bring your expertise forward as a writer and interviewer.
When's the best time to pitch you?
Before dawn.
What's the best pitch you ever got?
Boxes of food help.
What's the worst pitch you ever got?
"I'm graduating from journalism school soon, and want a job." Or something like that.
What's your favorite drink?
Coffee. Black.
When you're not at a computer, where are you most likely to be?
On the disc golf course, or at a taco truck.
Aside from your own, what's your favorite publication to read?
Communication Arts
What's the most common misperception about your beat?
That's it's all P.R.
Would you like to take the Muck Rack Interview?
Create a Muck Rack profile.