James Kahongeh
Verified
(He/Him)
As seen in:
Business Daily Africa,
Nation Africa,
Daily Nation,
Nairobi News,
AllAfrica,
Daily Monitor,
The Star (Kenya),
Genetic Literacy Project,
The East African,
The Citizen (Tanzania),
Knews,
HT Syndication
and
Covers:
Entrepreneurship, social trends, development, art and technology.
Doesn't Cover:
None. The more controversial the more enticing.
Climate Journalist | Storyteller | Books & Banter | Laughs & Lifestyle | Linguist | Author | 2022 #DanidaFellow | 2023 #EJNFellow |INFJ | Winner, #AJEA2023 🏆
Interview
What was your first job as a journalist?
Carrying the tripod for a bunch of egoistic journalists. I think I'm now fairing better than them.
Have you ever used a typewriter?
Only to place household clutter on top of it. I will buy one at the local antiques store. Must be a chic choice of a souvenir, no?
How is social media changing news?
It's ridiculous that fellows who do not know how the inside of a journalism class looks like are now practising this hallowed profession.
Who's your favorite fictional journalist?
Jackson Biko. What he writes are craftily woven lies. But is there anything more exciting in the world than smart fibs?
What does it mean to be a journalist?
Having people imagine you know everything while in truth you can't tell the difference between "sometime" and "sometimes".
What's the funniest news-related #hashtag you've seen?
It was a misspelled word in a trend that people kept tweeting about without noticing, or deliberately ignoring, the typo.
How do you prefer to be pitched on stories?
Throw me a bone. I will deal with the rest.
What tools and software do you use to do your job?
Word. Photoshop. FinalCutPro.
What's your favorite social network?
Twitter. Of course.
Who do you wish followed you?
My taste has dramatically changed over the years. But my crush on Rihanna has only grown more pointed. And Rooney Mara.
Why did you become a journalist?
I felt that it was only through journalism that my existence under the sun would matter a tad.
Did you work for your high school newspaper? If so, what did you do there?
Yes. I wrote subjects that left the whole school with jaws dropped. That is to say sexuality and sports. Most are the times I was ignored.
What story are you most proud of writing or working on?
There are many. But one stands out. About a lady who had been jobless for 10 yrs. She got a job after the story that paid her ten times more than mine. Is that even fair? We lost touch as soon as she... Never mind.
What advice can you offer to aspiring journalists?
Finesse is a result of numerous attempts to perfect that what you love doing. Only the start is bumpy. The rest are lies.
When's the best time to pitch you?
In the middle of the night. When sleep is elusive. I have an editor who always does that. What a saviour!
What's the best pitch you ever got?
Do this story and your fortunes in the newsroom will change forever. Leave it and live in shame for the rest of your career. Choose.
What's the worst pitch you ever got?
I could submit this story to your rival publication if you don't want it.
What's your favorite drink?
Any type of cocktail. Particularly the ones with vulgar names. Talking of drinks...can I share about about my worst drinking experience? I once drank half a bottle of William Lawsons. Boy, I had to be dragged out of the club. Having been dusted.
When you're not at a computer, where are you most likely to be?
At the office balcony listening to my wavy thoughts. Or thinking about my lobster, which I do quite a lot.
Aside from your own, what's your favorite publication to read?
The Guardian. The date tales. Once thought I could introduce that in my daily. A long-shot though that was. And NYT, WSJ, Daily Mail.
What's the most common misperception about your beat?
That our kind simply sit in the office! Man, we are always rummaging the deepest pockets of knowledge to piece stories together.
Would you like to take the Muck Rack Interview?
Create a Muck Rack profile.