George Payne
Rochester
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Interview
What was your first job as a journalist?
Editor of a nonprofit online newsletter. Topics included nonviolence studies and human rights education. Based in Rochester, NY.
Have you ever used a typewriter?
Yes, but many moons ago.
How is social media changing news?
It is becoming news. The realization of McCluhan's vision. The medium is the message now. There is no difference between the two.
Who's your favorite fictional journalist?
Raoul Duke. Hunter S. Thompson's alter ego.
What does it mean to be a journalist?
To say something that informs people. Not instruct them or insult them. To be a journalist is to be a voice of explanation without judgement.
What's the funniest news-related #hashtag you've seen?
How do you prefer to be pitched on stories?
Email
What tools and software do you use to do your job?
Computers and the mind. I suppose the mind is a type of computer but different, My mind is not always plugged in.
What's your favorite social network?
Linkedin. For the time being. I am skeptical of all social media platforms. Look at me! Look at me! Seems too needy.
Who do you wish followed you?
If I had any followers I would lead them to the edge of a cliff and give them the choice.
Why did you become a journalist?
I want to bear witness to the world I live in. I enjoy the freedom to tell my side of the story without needing to know the whole thing,
Did you work for your high school newspaper? If so, what did you do there?
I worked on the HS yearbook, which was a strange kind of journalism. I released my own underground newspaper. Gutsy and full of mistakes.
What story are you most proud of writing or working on?
The ones that came from an inner compulsion to say something new. Those that cause a little knot in my stomach the second I push send.
What advice can you offer to aspiring journalists?
Follow the money. And ask real questions that have answers which make a difference. The truth is subjective but facts are not. Be a reporter!
When's the best time to pitch you?
The more I think about it, the more I don't care. Whenever you can catch my attention. I am open to anything interesting,
What's the best pitch you ever got?
The ones I come up with myself.
What's the worst pitch you ever got?
The one I turn down because I am scared of offending someone
What's your favorite drink?
Benedictine or Chartreuse
When you're not at a computer, where are you most likely to be?
With my two children (4 and 2), working at a domestic violence center, hiking along Lake Ontario, writing poetry on the couch
Aside from your own, what's your favorite publication to read?
The New York Times, New Yorker, Rolling Stone, Philosophy Now, National Geographic,
What's the most common misperception about your beat?
That I am a democrat partisan
Would you like to take the Muck Rack Interview?
Create a Muck Rack profile.