What was your first job as a journalist?
Sports writer
Have you ever used a typewriter?
Of course, way in the past.
How is social media changing news?
Reach
Who's your favorite fictional journalist?
Seems an oxymoron.
What does it mean to be a journalist?
Write truth as best you can
What's the funniest news-related #hashtag you've seen?
The next one about Donald Trump
How do you prefer to be pitched on stories?
Email
What tools and software do you use to do your job?
Adobe suite and Mac Pages
What's your favorite social network?
Facebook, Twitter close second.
Who do you wish followed you?
Everyone who enjoys wine
Why did you become a journalist?
1964 at San Angelo Standard-, then professional in 1969 at San Antonio Express-News
Did you work for your high school newspaper? If so, what did you do there?
Yes. I was the sports editor.
What story are you most proud of writing or working on?
My books about several cities in Texas—five and counting.
What advice can you offer to aspiring journalists?
Be honest, be brief.
When's the best time to pitch you?
Any time.
What's the best pitch you ever got?
Dozens of wineries around the world send me free wine.
What's the worst pitch you ever got?
Haven't gotten it yet
What's your favorite drink?
Wine
When you're not at a computer, where are you most likely to be?
Washing dishes in the kitchen.
Aside from your own, what's your favorite publication to read?
New Yorker magazine
What's the most common misperception about your beat?
That I publish negative reviews of wine.
