What was your first job as a journalist?
I was a reporter for TAPinto Ridgewood.
Have you ever used a typewriter?
I have, but in thrift stores and in other people's houses. I considered buying a Olivetti Lettera, but I don't have enough space on my desk.
How is social media changing news?
It's bringing it to more people, but it is also changing the overall narrative, we actually see how people feel without going outside.
Who's your favorite fictional journalist?
Peter Parker. I absolutely loved Tobey Maguire and his depiction of Peter.
What does it mean to be a journalist?
It means you are one with the people, they entrust you with their attention and their time and I have to make it right.
How do you prefer to be pitched on stories?
Via email or carrier pigeon, if possible.
What tools and software do you use to do your job?
Computer.
What's your favorite social network?
Twitter, or Reddit, if you can call that social media.
Who do you wish followed you?
RM of the K-Pop group BTS.
Why did you become a journalist?
I really loved Top Gear growing up and how they looked at cars from a human perspective. I also used to watch a lot of videos from VICE.
Did you work for your high school newspaper? If so, what did you do there?
I did not, but I did in university. I wrote op-eds about student life and about cars.
What advice can you offer to aspiring journalists?
Keep writing, keep your head up high and listen to your professors, if you are still in university.
What's the best pitch you ever got?
I treat all my pitches equally.
What's your favorite drink?
Alcoholic: Tom Collins, or a Negroni (not Spagliato), Non-Alcoholic: Diet Coke (I need to kick my soda habit)
When you're not at a computer, where are you most likely to be?
At a good restaurant, looking at clothes or at a car show or meet looking at nice cars. I like movies, but tickets aren't cheap
Aside from your own, what's your favorite publication to read?
Jalopnik, Hypebeast, Complex, individual blogs on Substack
What's the most common misperception about your beat?
That we just focus on shit that no one cares about. I tend to write my stories to a general non-car-nerd audience.
