How is social media changing news?
Leads are sometimes found on social media, such as an innocent tweet from a player indicating he could sign with another team. Still, there are drawbacks to the way news is broken. There’s often a mad rush to be first at the expense of being right. Additionally, there’s been a recent rash of improper attribution. The SPJ Code of Ethics should be updated to incorporate today’s tech-savvy world.
Who's your favorite fictional journalist?
Gray Grantham (Denzel Washington) from "The Pelican Brief."
What story are you most proud of writing or working on?
I had the privilege of sitting down with Case Bonebrake, a 91-year-old WWII B-24 bomber pilot with more than 20 combat missions, for almost an entire month before writing a feature story on him. Hearing his story made me truly appreciate “The Greatest Generation.”
What advice can you offer to aspiring journalists?
Get away from the desk, as the news won’t come to you. Also, be humble. No matter how good you think you are, it’s important to remember there’s always somebody better.
