Interview
What was your first job as a journalist?
A vox pop on the effect of a government policy on businesses in Lagos, Nigeria.
Have you ever used a typewriter?
No
How is social media changing news?
SM is changing media in so many ways, but more importantly, in the way news is being disseminated.
Who's your favorite fictional journalist?
I don't have any.
What does it mean to be a journalist?
It means being a truth-teller and a guardian of society.
What's the funniest news-related #hashtag you've seen?
I can't think of any at the moment.
How do you prefer to be pitched on stories?
A brief email of the story idea, why it is significant, and how the writer intends to go about developing the story is just fine.
What tools and software do you use to do your job?
My laptop, phone, notepad, Google Docs, MS Word, Grammarly, Zoom, Ocenaudio
What's your favorite social network?
Instagram
Who do you wish followed you?
No one
Why did you become a journalist?
Journalism chose me. I did not actively set out to be one. That said, I do love storytelling and the power that it wields.
Did you work for your high school newspaper? If so, what did you do there?
Yes. I was Vice President of my school's Press Club.
What story are you most proud of writing or working on?
So many. But I'll say 'The Merchants of Death' and 'Victor Ehikhamenor: The Innovative Maverick of Contemporary African Art.'
What advice can you offer to aspiring journalists?
Journalism is 'heartwork'; you have to actually care about people, issues, and community to be able to do good work. Do you care?
When's the best time to pitch you?
Anytime is a good time as long as it's a brilliant story idea.
What's the best pitch you ever got?
I've got plenty, hard to pick one.
What's the worst pitch you ever got?
I don't remember.
What's your favorite drink?
At the moment, Martinelli's sparkling apple cider. Lord knows what it'd be tomorrow.
When you're not at a computer, where are you most likely to be?
In front of a TV seeing a movie/series, or lost in the pages of a novel.
Aside from your own, what's your favorite publication to read?
The New Yorker, The New York Times (esp its Modern Love column), Granta, The Paris Review, Longreads, and some really good Substack publications
What's the most common misperception about your beat?
I don't know of any.
Would you like to take the Muck Rack Interview?
Create a Muck Rack profile.