What was your first job as a journalist?
The Palisades-Post in Pacific Palisades, CA
Have you ever used a typewriter?
As a kid, but by the time I was in high school it was all computers.
How is social media changing news?
Too many sites ceded their readership over to Twitter and Facebook. We should focus on making the website a destination again.
Who's your favorite fictional journalist?
Peter Maldonado
What does it mean to be a journalist?
To listen, first and foremost.
What's the funniest news-related #hashtag you've seen?
How do you prefer to be pitched on stories?
E-mail. Always e-mail.
What tools and software do you use to do your job?
Olympus digital recorder, ExpressScribe transcription software, a bluetooth keyboard, Pages for Mac, E-Mail, Google, cell phone...
What's your favorite social network?
Meeting people in real life
Who do you wish followed you?
Nicolas Cage
Why did you become a journalist?
Starting out, I wanted to tell the stories of established artists. Now I realize I have the platform to discover new artists too.
Did you work for your high school newspaper? If so, what did you do there?
I wrote reviews for the high school paper but in college I learned I liked writing features too!
What story are you most proud of writing or working on?
My interview with Dustin Lance Black for When We Rise turned into a How-To manual for fighting racism and hopelessness post 2016.
What advice can you offer to aspiring journalists?
Be proactive. Don't wait for permission. Do the story you want, then find a home for it.
When's the best time to pitch you?
Any time of day, but via e-mail is best.
What's the best pitch you ever got?
Early screening of Rambo with pizza and beer, and Stallone. Hard to beat.
What's the worst pitch you ever got?
Any where a stranger asks me to watch a random film via Twitter or FB. Or any that want me to do unpaid work.
What's your favorite drink?
Diet Dr. Pepper (was Diet Cherry Vanilla Dr. Pepper but they discontinued it. I still find it in some multi-drink fountains)
When you're not at a computer, where are you most likely to be?
Watching a movie
Aside from your own, what's your favorite publication to read?
Outlawvern.com
What's the most common misperception about your beat?
That you just walk in and interview a famous person. It takes so much behind the scene wrangling!
