Diego Olivas Arana
Verified
(He/Him)
As seen in:
Medium,
The Guardian,
El Comercio (Peru),
Ventana Indiscreta,
Popula,
Przekrój,
Somos Periodismo,
Asia Sur
Covers:
Culture: cinema, literature, TV shows, art, music, theatre, pop culture. Peru, South America, Latin America. Poland. Travelling, immigration, languages, racism, xenophobia, ecology & environment.
Interview
What was your first job as a journalist?
As a broadcaster in a program of my university's radio web station in Lima, Peru. I was talking mostly about movies and non-fiction books.
Have you ever used a typewriter?
I did. My dad's and sometimes my grandpa's. I used to play with my dad's typewriter, also ruined some documents.
How is social media changing news?
It's changing pretty much everything with the lack of concentration, the need for immediacy. And it can be for the worse with the fake news.
Who's your favorite fictional journalist?
That's a hard choice. I have many: Faúndez, Zavalita, Pereira, Marcello Rubini, Ulysse Mérou, Tintin, Clark Kent, Lois Lane, Ben Urich, etc.
What does it mean to be a journalist?
"If somebody came from Mars to America and went around for months or years, and then you asked them who has the best jobs, they would say the journalists, because the journalists get to make momentary entries into people's lives when they are interesting, and get out when they cease to be interesting" - Bob Woodward.
How do you prefer to be pitched on stories?
By email.
What tools and software do you use to do your job?
Books. A voice recorder. Word, different social media, Linkedin.
What's your favorite social network?
I guess that would be Facebook. I spend quite some time in Instagram as well, because of one of my hobbies: toy photography.
Who do you wish followed you?
Journalists, readers, cinephiles, travellers, immigrants, young people...
Why did you become a journalist?
Because I need to write.
Did you work for your high school newspaper? If so, what did you do there?
No, but I did for the university. Interviews, profiles, reportages. It was a great experience.
What story are you most proud of writing or working on?
The one I did about the melting glaciers and climate change in Peru, or my story about Ryszard Kapuściński.
When's the best time to pitch you?
Mornings or afternoons.
What's the best pitch you ever got?
To write about echology and climate change.
What's the worst pitch you ever got?
I'd say it was making advertorials.
What's your favorite drink?
Beer, specially here in Poland. Sometimes wine.
When you're not at a computer, where are you most likely to be?
Talking to people, reading books, watching movies, or walking my dog.
Aside from your own, what's your favorite publication to read?
Literary reportages and profiles are among my favorites. Also I read a lot of reviews of books and movies.
What's the most common misperception about your beat?
I believe I haven't experienced a misperception of my beat so far.
Would you like to take the Muck Rack Interview?
Create a Muck Rack profile.