What was your first job as a journalist?
Freelance author of articles related to agriculture and poverty for “Het Agrarisch Dagblad”, Zwolle, the Netherlands.
Have you ever used a typewriter?
Yes, I have.
How is social media changing news?
It is adding to chaos and confusion.
Who's your favorite fictional journalist?
A quick-witted, neutral, serious but also humorous writer.
What does it mean to be a journalist?
Ordering thoughts and see connections and context, put it into words in an understandable and captivating way.
What's the funniest news-related #hashtag you've seen?
Sorry, I cannot recall any.
How do you prefer to be pitched on stories?
By e-mail or by phone.
What tools and software do you use to do your job?
MS Office, Mellel, Adobe InDesign, PhotoShop, Illustrator, Acrobat, Audition, Premiere Pro, RapidWeaver, Finale, Macbook Pro, audio equipment
What's your favorite social network?
LinkedIn
Who do you wish followed you?
Bible scholars, christians, people interested in the Gospel of Christ and in the relationship between the Christian faith and cultures.
Why did you become a journalist?
I love language and I love to write, try to communicate the Gospel of Christ and the importance of reading the Bible contextually.
Did you work for your high school newspaper? If so, what did you do there?
Yes, I did. I wrote articles about the human race spoiling the planet (1978!).
What story are you most proud of writing or working on?
An exposition of the Gospel by John, chapter 15.
What advice can you offer to aspiring journalists?
Be humble.
When's the best time to pitch you?
Monday to Saturday between 7:00 and 22:00 h Dutch time.
What's the best pitch you ever got?
It was a pitch about a project that recruited blind people for agricultural activities in the South of India.
What's the worst pitch you ever got?
I have never got a bad pitch.
What's your favorite drink?
Water
When you're not at a computer, where are you most likely to be?
In our vegetable garden or at the piano.
Aside from your own, what's your favorite publication to read?
Ink (Research and resources from Tyndale House, Cambridge)
What's the most common misperception about your beat?
The most common misperception about my beat is that Christianity is the same as following Christ.
