Harlan Vaughn
Verified
(He/Him)
As seen in:
Business Insider,
Business Insider Nordic,
Forbes Advisor,
Aol,
BuzzFeed,
CNBC Select,
Yahoo Finance,
Substack,
Flipboard,
NerdWallet
and
Covers:
travel, credit cards, points, miles, personal finance, retirement
KEEPING IT 💯 ON THE LAND, THE SEA, THE SKY
Interview
What was your first job as a journalist?
I was a ghostwriter for Million Mile Secrets, a now-defunct points blog.
Have you ever used a typewriter?
Hehe, yes. I had one growing up. I believe it was a "word processor."
How is social media changing news?
It's definitely moving more quickly. But there's also a lot of misinformation getting added faster, too.
What does it mean to be a journalist?
Asking the right questions. Being as neutral as possible. Letting the story lead you, not the other way around. Not making assumptions.
How do you prefer to be pitched on stories?
Via email.
What tools and software do you use to do your job?
Lots of Google Docs, Otter.ai, and MacBook Pro.
What's your favorite social network?
Instagram.
Who do you wish followed you?
Warren Buffet. That'd be cool.
Why did you become a journalist?
I love words! And I love to travel. It was inevitable.
Did you work for your high school newspaper? If so, what did you do there?
I did! I was the editor of the MSMS Vision.
What advice can you offer to aspiring journalists?
Start anywhere. The bylines build on each other. All you need is one.
When you're not at a computer, where are you most likely to be?
Napping.
What's the most common misperception about your beat?
That it's hard or advanced. Beginners can do well with one or two powerful tricks and come out ahead of 98% of people.
Would you like to take the Muck Rack Interview?
Create a Muck Rack profile.