What was your first job as a journalist?
Writing intern for the Science and Technology News Network.
Have you ever used a typewriter?
Yes.
How is social media changing news?
It's made reporting more real-time, but it also requires warp-speed verification to avoid snafus.
Who's your favorite fictional journalist?
Carl Kolchak, the Night Stalker! I wish I had his luck of falling into weird stories.
What does it mean to be a journalist?
You get to explain How Things Work to people who will then hopefully use that info to weigh their decisions.
What's the funniest news-related #hashtag you've seen?
or
How do you prefer to be pitched on stories?
Via email, please.
What tools and software do you use to do your job?
Desktop, laptop and tablet; a camera, usually weighing my neck down; and notebooks and recorders.
What's your favorite social network?
It's a tossup between Twitter and Facebook.
Who do you wish followed you?
Dean Baquet, Martin Baron, Zanny Minton Beddoes, Judy Woodruff, Lester Holt, Charlie Rose and Gayle King.
Why did you become a journalist?
It paid more than literary writing. Really, it does!
Did you work for your high school newspaper? If so, what did you do there?
I avoided that career step, mostly because my high school didn't have a newspaper.
What story are you most proud of writing or working on?
I'm always most proud of the stories I cover regarding cultural issues, such as the havoc wrought by invasive species on Native cultures.
What advice can you offer to aspiring journalists?
Write your heart out. Don't be afraid to venture out into new waters, but do watch the undertow - it's a bitch.
When's the best time to pitch you?
Via email, pretty much any time. Via phone, normal biz hours please.
What's the best pitch you ever got?
A couple of Phoenix PR firms have handed me plum stories on national monuments and education issues.
What's the worst pitch you ever got?
Where do I start? All the ones who didn't bother learning what I report.
When you're not at a computer, where are you most likely to be?
Poking around a museum, an antique store or looking for more story angles. You never know when you're gonna run across a story idea.
Aside from your own, what's your favorite publication to read?
The Economist.
What's the most common misperception about your beat?
That I am an activist or advocate for Indian Country-my job is to provide facts plus perspective, not advocacy. Some people confuse those.
