Eric Wiener
Jacksonville
Storyteller in search of the next chapter of his own story. TV News Executive / Special Projects producer with 21 years experience.
Interview
What was your first job as a journalist?
Video Editor/Studio Camera operator at WROC in Rochester, NY.
Have you ever used a typewriter?
Yes, in elementary school.
Who's your favorite fictional journalist?
Clark Kent.
What does it mean to be a journalist?
To comfort the afflicted and to afflict the comfortable.
How do you prefer to be pitched on stories?
Short email.
What tools and software do you use to do your job?
iNews, Outlook, Excel.
What's your favorite social network?
Facebook is a huge time-suck.
Why did you become a journalist?
It appealed to my desire to tell stories, to hold the powerful accountable, to work in a visual medium, and to work on new things every day.
Did you work for your high school newspaper? If so, what did you do there?
Yes. I wrote news, music reviews, and editorials.
What story are you most proud of writing or working on?
I put together a documentary special for the 10th anniversary of 9/11.
What advice can you offer to aspiring journalists?
Don't go to journalism school. Get a good liberal arts degree: it will teach you critical thinking, and give you a wide knowledge base.
When's the best time to pitch you?
Before the story appears in other media outlets. The worst pitch possible is the one that cites a story done by a competitor.
Would you like to take the Muck Rack Interview?
Create a Muck Rack profile.