What was your first job as a journalist?
Covering digital marketing conventions for bigmouthmedia and martech news sites.
Have you ever used a typewriter?
Yes, a lifetime ago! Not professionally!
How is social media changing news?
It's a challenge! Malicious or accidental lies fly around the web faster than the truth (it's an old comment, I know, but it's true).
Who's your favorite fictional journalist?
Peter Parker.
What does it mean to be a journalist?
Looking out the window to see if it is raining - not just repeating someone's stance on the weather.
What's the funniest news-related #hashtag you've seen?
Most related hashtags!
How do you prefer to be pitched on stories?
Email! With a passion. By people who have thought about why a story might be worth covering.
What tools and software do you use to do your job?
Feedly and their AI Leo for surfacing content from a wide range of platforms!
What's your favorite social network?
Currently; Mastodon (but I miss Google+)
Who do you wish followed you?
Unless they engage; it doesn't really matter
Why did you become a journalist?
There's a thrill in sharing and an even greater buzz in fitting the pieces together, discovering something new and sharing that.
Did you work for your high school newspaper? If so, what did you do there?
No, just the Year Book
What story are you most proud of writing or working on?
Responsible coverage of hacks - not to cause alarm while helping people know what they should do next.
What advice can you offer to aspiring journalists?
Run your own blog or mailing list either as a side hustle or as part of your personal brand.
When's the best time to pitch you?
When you're writing emails and have given me a day or two to write something up, longer if it's an also-ran.
What's the best pitch you ever got?
From Angry Hamster Publishing who thought about what I'd need, ask for and had those answers ready to go.
What's the worst pitch you ever got?
SEO shills that demand links for $5
What's your favorite drink?
Diet Irn-Bru
When you're not at a computer, where are you most likely to be?
Out walking (probably on the smartphone)
Aside from your own, what's your favorite publication to read?
Tortoise Media, site and podcasts
What's the most common misperception about your beat?
Tabletop gamers are all very similar people.
