Dimitris Passas
Covers:
Film, TV and Book Criticism, Article/Essay Writing on Culture, Fiction Writing, Interviews/Q+As, Opinion & Editorial
Interview
What was your first job as a journalist?
I pitched a piece for a well-known online movie platform concerning the best Nordic crime dramas of the last decades.
Have you ever used a typewriter?
Unfortunately, no.
How is social media changing news?
Social Media boosted the news industry as they offered immediacy. However, the downside is the spreading of fake news in many cases.
Who's your favorite fictional journalist?
Joseph Rouletabille from the Gaston Leroux novels.
What does it mean to be a journalist?
Never giving up on a good story.
What's the funniest news-related #hashtag you've seen?
Oh, there have been several but right now nothing pops to my mind.
How do you prefer to be pitched on stories?
I'm not sure I understand the question.
What tools and software do you use to do your job?
The absolute basics (grammar tool etc.)
What's your favorite social network?
Twitter by far.
Who do you wish followed you?
Mark Kermode
Why did you become a journalist?
It just happened. I loved and still love to write plus I'm addicted to the world of culture.
Did you work for your high school newspaper? If so, what did you do there?
No, I wasn't much active then, more of a loner and a daydreamer.
What story are you most proud of writing or working on?
Currently I'm working on a piece focusing on late director's Theo Angelopoulos early days as a newspaper film critic.
What advice can you offer to aspiring journalists?
Read a lot, write a lot, and always keep your finger on the pulse of what's latest in your area of expertise.
When's the best time to pitch you?
Early morning.
What's the best pitch you ever got?
Still waiting for it...
What's the worst pitch you ever got?
I will not answer that one as it makes me angry even to think about it.
What's your favorite drink?
Water.
When you're not at a computer, where are you most likely to be?
In a public library, an outdoors cafe, a municipal city park.
Aside from your own, what's your favorite publication to read?
All the biggies I guess... The New Yorker, Vanity Fair, The Times Literary Supplement, The Guardian and so many others.
What's the most common misperception about your beat?
That artists are snub. I had the best experiences with highly popular authors who proved to be affable and good-natured.
Would you like to take the Muck Rack Interview?
Create a Muck Rack profile.