What was your first job as a journalist?
Does Moines Register, reporter
Have you ever used a typewriter?
Yes!
How is social media changing news?
For the worst I am afraid
What does it mean to be a journalist?
Responsibility to tell the truth
What's the funniest news-related #hashtag you've seen?
How do you prefer to be pitched on stories?
Relevance to family travel
What tools and software do you use to do your job?
Computer, iPhone, notebook and pen
What's your favorite social network?
Instagram
Who do you wish followed you?
Anyone planning a family trip
Why did you become a journalist?
Interest in people, places, things
Did you work for your high school newspaper? If so, what did you do there?
Reporter/writer
What story are you most proud of writing or working on?
Undercover expose on doctors selling illegal drugs for Chicago Tribune circa 1980
What advice can you offer to aspiring journalists?
Be truthful always.
When's the best time to pitch you?
By email anytime
What's the best pitch you ever got?
Can’t remember
What's the worst pitch you ever got?
Somebody trying to pitch a blog about lie detectors
What's your favorite drink?
Cranberry juice
When you're not at a computer, where are you most likely to be?
Active
Aside from your own, what's your favorite publication to read?
New York Times
What's the most common misperception about your beat?
That we book travel destinations or services. We don’t. We offer travel advice
