Don Jergler
Verified
(He/Him)
As seen in:
Claims Journal,
Insurance Journal,
The Orange County Register,
Weedmaps,
EIN News,
Grunion Gazette,
Press-Telegram,
CalMatters,
Long Beach Post,
Carrier Management,
Autobody News,
The Wealth Advisor
and
Covers:
Business, general subjects.
I've been a reporter/editor for 20 years, covering insurance, real estate and other business topics.
Interview
What was your first job as a journalist?
Reporter for a small daily paper in the bowels of a remote inferno.
Have you ever used a typewriter?
Yes. In the market for one for my home office in fact.
How is social media changing news?
Social media brings news to more people and enables us to engage with one another to express our views, worries and hopes. Global Village.
Who's your favorite fictional journalist?
J. Johna Jameson
What does it mean to be a journalist?
In a rapidly changing world, this remains to be seen.
What's the funniest news-related #hashtag you've seen?
I don't easily recall hashtags.
How do you prefer to be pitched on stories?
Email.
What tools and software do you use to do your job?
CMS, Audacity, MS Word, Outlook, Excel.
What's your favorite social network?
LinkedIn
Who do you wish followed you?
More people. I'll do anything for a bigger audience.
Why did you become a journalist?
I love writing, reading, and the news.
Did you work for your high school newspaper? If so, what did you do there?
No
What story are you most proud of writing or working on?
My climate change coverage.
What advice can you offer to aspiring journalists?
Cheesy but true: Follow your heart.
When's the best time to pitch you?
Since I prefer email, anytime works.
What's the best pitch you ever got?
Pitches are pitches. I see them as neither good nor bad, just useful or not.
What's the worst pitch you ever got?
There've been some bad ones, but PR people have a tough job, so let's give them a break.
What's your favorite drink?
Coffee
When you're not at a computer, where are you most likely to be?
Holding a kid, on a cellphone or in front of a book.
Aside from your own, what's your favorite publication to read?
NYT
What's the most common misperception about your beat?
It's boring. It is, but I'm being paid to believe otherwise!
Would you like to take the Muck Rack Interview?
Create a Muck Rack profile.