What was your first job as a journalist?
My hometown newspaper.
Have you ever used a typewriter?
No but I am saving up to buy one!
How is social media changing news?
It eliminates the gatekeeper: now everyone is able to see and react to news and information in a matter of seconds, good or bad.
Who's your favorite fictional journalist?
Patricia 'Patti' Robinson from Good Girls Revolt
What does it mean to be a journalist?
Un-complicating information for the general public to read and understand. Journalists are messengers of truth and complexity.
How do you prefer to be pitched on stories?
Email
What tools and software do you use to do your job?
Laptop, recorder, and coffee.
What's your favorite social network?
Twitter
Who do you wish followed you?
Susan Goldberg
Why did you become a journalist?
There was no other profession that compared.
Did you work for your high school newspaper? If so, what did you do there?
I did not! I was a late journalist bloomer, but I created a magazine in college.
What story are you most proud of writing or working on?
I wrote a story on how Covid-19 affected mental health, and I still get emails from people saying how it helped them be gentler on themselves
What advice can you offer to aspiring journalists?
Don't be afraid to ask your peers questions.
When's the best time to pitch you?
Any time after 8 am and before 10 pm.
What's the best pitch you ever got?
Disc golf. Two hall-of-famers. A Brewmaster. And three rowdy locals. That's it.
What's the worst pitch you ever got?
Someone asked me to write a story on their dead dog...
What's your favorite drink?
Cold brew
When you're not at a computer, where are you most likely to be?
Exploring far away places
Aside from your own, what's your favorite publication to read?
National Geographic
