James Salazar
Verified
As seen in:
The San Francisco Examiner,
EIN News,
Killeen Daily Herald,
Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal,
San Francisco Weekly,
Dialnet - Universidad de La Rioja,
Grand Junction Daily Sentinel,
Longview News-Journal,
JACC (Journal of the American College of Cardiology),
Polk County Pulse,
Star Local Media
and
on my puter | @sfexaminer
Interview
What was your first job as a journalist?
Contributing writer
Have you ever used a typewriter?
No
How is social media changing news?
People are starting to value expediency over taking your time with a story
Who's your favorite fictional journalist?
Ron Burgundy
What does it mean to be a journalist?
Telling the truth even when someone does not want to hear it
What's the funniest news-related #hashtag you've seen?
How do you prefer to be pitched on stories?
I prefer a 150-200 word blurb on how you would write the intro to a story
What tools and software do you use to do your job?
Google Docs, Slack, Google Sheets, and Workday
What's your favorite social network?
Twitter
Who do you wish followed you?
Beyoncé
Why did you become a journalist?
I love telling stories and the thought of taking something that not many people may know about and blowing it up with coverage
Did you work for your high school newspaper? If so, what did you do there?
No
What story are you most proud of writing or working on?
My story about the media's treatment of the Naomi Osaka and Serena Williams rivalry
What advice can you offer to aspiring journalists?
Just go for it. The best way to get experience is by taking a hands-on approach to whatever you want to do.
When's the best time to pitch you?
Monday afternoons
What's the best pitch you ever got?
There's too much advertising in sports
What's the worst pitch you ever got?
Anything on soccer
What's your favorite drink?
Vanilla Coca-Cola
When you're not at a computer, where are you most likely to be?
In my bed
Aside from your own, what's your favorite publication to read?
Rolling Stone
What's the most common misperception about your beat?
It's cut and dry and there is no room for creative writing
Would you like to take the Muck Rack Interview?
Create a Muck Rack profile.