James Gordon Patterson
Phoenix
As seen in:
The New York Times,
Washington Examiner,
Charleston Gazette-Mail,
Times Argus,
Kearney Hub,
Rutland Herald,
Telegraph Herald,
The Journal-Courier,
Bristol Press,
Prescott eNews
and
Covers:
travel, rodeo/horse racing, country concerts and artists, real estate/architecture
I am a professor and photographer, loving travel, outdoors, country music, rodeos; openly conservative, too! JamesGordonPatterson.com,
Interview
What was your first job as a journalist?
WIBM Radio, Jackson, Michigan... I was 17. And I was a reporter, not a "journalist."
Have you ever used a typewriter?
Ohhh yes. Mechanical and electric. But I was an early adopter to computers.
How is social media changing news?
Good: anybody with an opinion has a voice. Bad: anybody with an opinion has a voice. Now, there is so much censorship, sadly.
Who's your favorite fictional journalist?
anybody on CNN... MSNBC... any from PBSABCNBCCBS.
What does it mean to be a journalist?
I'm a reporter/photographer. Who the hell keeps a journal? "Journalist" signals pompous ass ahead!
What's the funniest news-related #hashtag you've seen?
a
How do you prefer to be pitched on stories?
email
What tools and software do you use to do your job?
lightroom, photoshop
What's your favorite social network?
a
Who do you wish followed you?
publications who buy photography and the stories behind the images!
Why did you become a journalist?
a
Did you work for your high school newspaper? If so, what did you do there?
I ran the student radio station in high school.
What story are you most proud of writing or working on?
so many, especially years ago when I was news director at KUAT Tucson.
What advice can you offer to aspiring journalists?
Become an expert at something. No need to major in journalism like I did. Don't be lazy. Don't run in a pack. Think for yourself.
When's the best time to pitch you?
whenever
What's the best pitch you ever got?
Offer to pay for photographing a resort in Austria. Then the next week COVID Wuhan hit and cancelled the trip!
What's the worst pitch you ever got?
you wanna work for free?
What's your favorite drink?
NOW? Having just come back from Bermuda, the Rum Swizzle
When you're not at a computer, where are you most likely to be?
Outside capturing images!
Aside from your own, what's your favorite publication to read?
photoshop user
What's the most common misperception about your beat?
a
Would you like to take the Muck Rack Interview?
Create a Muck Rack profile.