What was your first job as a journalist?
Terrible.
Have you ever used a typewriter?
Yes.
How is social media changing news?
News is no longer about being first, it's about being right. The world of journalism may not have fully grokked that yet.
Who's your favorite fictional journalist?
Spider Jerusalem.
What does it mean to be a journalist?
Less and less.
What's the funniest news-related #hashtag you've seen?
When does this end?
How do you prefer to be pitched on stories?
Brown envelopes full of cash are just so classy and timeless.
What tools and software do you use to do your job?
Google drive, Response Source, Canva, and coffee.
What's your favorite social network?
I've got stuff to do this afternoon.
Who do you wish followed you?
Brian Merchant from Blood in the Machine.
Why did you become a journalist?
Gravity.
Did you work for your high school newspaper? If so, what did you do there?
Yes. I helped a buddy stage a coup for the chief ed role. In return he gave me the entertainment desk, which I used to get free movie tickets
What story are you most proud of writing or working on?
Seriously, does it just go on forever?
What advice can you offer to aspiring journalists?
Don't be afraid to take positions. People who say journalism can ever be free from ideology are naive or profiting from your own naivety.
When's the best time to pitch you?
After 11 am. Although if you pitch me before 11 am there's a chance I'll say yes to make you go away.
What's the best pitch you ever got?
HELP!! I'M TRAPPED IN A MUCKRACK QUESTIONNAIRE
What's the worst pitch you ever got?
Something that hit the trifecta of online gambling, crypto, and NFTs all in one slimy package.
What's your favorite drink?
After 5pm, a negroni. Before 5pm, probably also a negroni, but a black coffee is a very good substitute.
When you're not at a computer, where are you most likely to be?
On the sofa with a movie, a book, or a guitar. But always with my cat.
Aside from your own, what's your favorite publication to read?
The Stanley/Barker newsletter, Jacobin, and the Washington Post (derogatory)
What's the most common misperception about your beat?
That the AI revolution is inevitable.
