What was your first job as a journalist?
Reporting on city council meetings, township events and crime in Allentown, PA, where I grew up.
Have you ever used a typewriter?
Yes. Had a class on it in middle school, in fact.
How is social media changing news?
Everything is instant, but, opinion is bleeding into nearly every story, coloring much of the coverage available online.
Who's your favorite fictional journalist?
Ben Urich, the only reporter willing to get an accurate story on Spider-Man when the editor, J Jonah Jamison just wants to print lies.
What does it mean to be a journalist?
To be a conduit for the public, providing access and information that would be unable for the public to obtain without your intervention.
What's the funniest news-related #hashtag you've seen?
Lately? - which shares tweets from people regretting that they voted for Trump.
How do you prefer to be pitched on stories?
By email.
What tools and software do you use to do your job?
Word, mostly. Also, a cell phone is essential for photos and video. I'm proficient in Photoshop, Final Cut Pro and many CMS programs.
What's your favorite social network?
twitter
Who do you wish followed you?
Anyone who trusts their Facebook feed for their news.
Why did you become a journalist?
I'm a writer. When I was young, I needed to prove that to myself and I wanted to tell the stories of the lives of everyone around me.
Did you work for your high school newspaper? If so, what did you do there?
Yes. I wrote about high school events and I covered our annual Christmas light show.
What story are you most proud of writing or working on?
Im most proud of the work I've done on social justice issues: homelessness, drug addiction, juvenile life imprisonment and parole changes.
What advice can you offer to aspiring journalists?
Ask questions. Never hesitate to reach out to those in power and ask.
When's the best time to pitch you?
Email is open 24/7
What's the best pitch you ever got?
A man called me in tears asking for help. He had adopted a child that was born addicted to drugs and was fighting for care for the child.
What's the worst pitch you ever got?
Anything that is an ad disguised as "news". No one needs to know about the "important new way to clean your kitchen" from a journalist.
What's your favorite drink?
Manhatten on the rocks
When you're not at a computer, where are you most likely to be?
I watch too much tv and I read a lot.
Aside from your own, what's your favorite publication to read?
I'm a big fan of the Philadelphia Inquirer and I read Cracked.com (it's more insightful than many give it credit for.)
What's the most common misperception about your beat?
That anything I report is "fake" or not researched. Covering crime for a daily, I've often had to scour documents for accurate information.
