Jake Busch
As seen in:
Yahoo Life,
Yahoo News,
Yahoo Sports,
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution,
Stars and Stripes,
Chattanooga Times Free Press,
NewsBreak,
American Military News,
Cobb Business Journal,
The Marietta Daily Journal
and
Covers:
Cobb commission and school board, crime and public safety, business, education, feature obituaries, dining...anything and everything Cobb County!
Doesn't Cover:
Sports, unless they have a news angle!
Interview
What was your first job as a journalist?
My first job as a journalist was (and is, as of writing) general assignment reporter for the Marietta Daily Journal in Marietta, Ga.
Have you ever used a typewriter?
Unfortunately, I have not. Willing to learn for anyone willing to teach!
How is social media changing news?
Social media is making it more challenging to find out the full truth about a story. It is also disconnecting people from local communities.
Who's your favorite fictional journalist?
Clark Kent.
What does it mean to be a journalist?
Being a journalist means sharing the truth with your readers through persistence and with integrity.
What's the funniest news-related #hashtag you've seen?
It's gotta be #covfefe. And that was pre-COVID...
How do you prefer to be pitched on stories?
By other people!
What tools and software do you use to do your job?
I use a pen, reporter's notebooks, Sony recorder, iPhone, computer, digital camera, a car, and the Internet and all it has to offer.
What's your favorite social network?
Any offline and in-person – family, old friends, new acquaintances, you name it. But if I had to choose, Instagram before ads.
Who do you wish followed you?
Chris Hedges
Why did you become a journalist?
I became a journalist because I love storytelling, I love and care deeply about truth, and I want to help people through reporting.
Did you work for your high school newspaper? If so, what did you do there?
Yes, I worked for the Chamblee Blue & Gold newspaper as a writer, then assistant editor, and finally as editor-in-chief my senior year.
What story are you most proud of writing or working on?
So far, the Fast Start Academy at Kennesaw State University.
What advice can you offer to aspiring journalists?
Take a chance and remember: this work matters.
When's the best time to pitch you?
Anytime I'm awake!
What's the best pitch you ever got?
So far, it's a pitch about a TikTok famous wildlife explorer trio from Kennesaw State University that I haven't even written about yet.
What's the worst pitch you ever got?
I don't get bad pitches, just some that are worse – much worse – than others.
What's your favorite drink?
Arnold palmer (non-alcoholic) or whiskey coke (alcoholic)
When you're not at a computer, where are you most likely to be?
On the basketball court or in a comfortable chair with a great book.
Aside from your own, what's your favorite publication to read?
The New York Times
What's the most common misperception about your beat?
That it doesn't matter. Local government DOES matter!
Would you like to take the Muck Rack Interview?
Create a Muck Rack profile.