Gary Gately
Verified
As seen in:
LinkedIn,
Medium,
The New York Times,
The Guardian,
The Washington Post,
CNBC,
Boston.com,
Medical News Today,
SFGate,
International Business Times (U.S.)
and
Covers:
News, investigative, public service, feature, profiles, juvenile justice, crime and courts, health, business, travel, among others.
Doesn't Cover:
I don't do much hardcore financial and investment reporting.
I'm a journalist who has won 15 national, regional and local awards for my reporting and writing.
Interview
What was your first job as a journalist?
Reporter, then editor and chief at the Diamondback, the campus daily at the University of Maryland, College Park.
Have you ever used a typewriter?
Yes, I began writing with a pen, then moved on to a typewriter in college.
How is social media changing news?
It's ever-present and a great way to keep abreast of what's happening and find story ideas on many beats.
Who's your favorite fictional journalist?
Lou Grant
What does it mean to be a journalist?
It is a great privilege to be a mirror on reality, to be a stand-in for readers, to enlighten them, to scrutinize what's working, what's notl
What's the funniest news-related #hashtag you've seen?
Can't recall any that really struck me as funny.
How do you prefer to be pitched on stories?
Email, telephone, social media.
What tools and software do you use to do your job?
Mostly Word and sometimes Excel, Nexis, effective searches on Google and other search engines.
What's your favorite social network?
LinkedIn
Who do you wish followed you?
Potential sources on subjects I cover: juvenile and criminal justice, courts, health, business, education, travel, among others.
Why did you become a journalist?
I became a journalist because I wanted to make the world a better place -- from shining a lot on wrongdoing to reporting on what's working.
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?
What advice can you offer to aspiring journalists?
Learn the fundamentals and news values. Read, read, read the best stuff you can with an eye toward what works and what doesn't.
When's the best time to pitch you?
I monitor email and phone messages constantly, so anytime works.
What's the best pitch you ever got?
Hard to say. I've received many. I like best the ones that immediately pique my interest and make me say, "Now that's a great story."
What's the worst pitch you ever got?
Flimsy ones that have no news value and often are simply attempts at self-promotion.
What's your favorite drink?
Coke
When you're not at a computer, where are you most likely to be?
With my children, reading, hanging out with friends.
Aside from your own, what's your favorite publication to read?
The New York Times
What's the most common misperception about your beat?
I cover many beats as an independent journalist. Many fail to realize what a challenge it is to learn about so many subjects so quickly.
Would you like to take the Muck Rack Interview?
Create a Muck Rack profile.