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James Mills on Muck Rack

James Mills

(He/Him)
Madison, United States
Covers:  National Parks, Outdoor Recreation, Social Justice
Reporting on the business, art and culture of the sustainable active lifestyle

Interview

What was your first job as a journalist?

My first paid job was a a daily reporter for the Wisconsin State Journal.

Have you ever used a typewriter?

Yep, I learned on a Royal manual

How is social media changing news?

Journalists are using social media platforms to do primary research for major news stories

Who's your favorite fictional journalist?

Lois Lane

How do you prefer to be pitched on stories?

With a box of cookies

What tools and software do you use to do your job?

Laptop, Microsoft Word

What's your favorite social network?

Letter writing

Why did you become a journalist?

To make a difference in the world

Did you work for your high school newspaper? If so, what did you do there?

I was a cartoonist

What story are you most proud of writing or working on?

The story of our National Parks and the conservation efforts of Black Americans

What advice can you offer to aspiring journalists?

Write your stories with integrity, Never lie, cheat or steal.

When's the best time to pitch you?

10 AM in the Fall

What's the best pitch you ever got?

I was once invited to visit a brothel in Addis Ababa

What's your favorite drink?

The Revelation

When you're not at a computer, where are you most likely to be?

Fly Fishing

Aside from your own, what's your favorite publication to read?

The Los Angeles Times

What's the most common misperception about your beat?

That everyone believes in the value of nature.

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