What was your first job as a journalist?
The one I gave myself. It was a really tough interview, the mirror doesn't lie.
Have you ever used a typewriter?
Nope. I've never used a telegram either or clay tablet.
How is social media changing news?
It's forcing news to rush its work.
Who's your favorite fictional journalist?
I knew it, some journalists aren't real, are they?! Those swines.
What does it mean to be a journalist?
To be lost and confused in an anarchic self-defeating union of quasi-deluded perfectionists.
What's the funniest news-related #hashtag you've seen?
I think the hashtag system is buckling under its own weight and tend to forget he funny ones promptly.
How do you prefer to be pitched on stories?
I like to be pitched by emails - to phone up ten minutes later isn't giving me the ball. Meet me, get to know me. (Don't launch in to it)
What tools and software do you use to do your job?
Let's go with Apple. Adobe and Evernote. But without a phone and a smile, i'd never get to my copy/
What's your favorite social network?
Linkedin, Twitter - equally. Facebook = fail.
Who do you wish followed you?
Losers.
Why did you become a journalist?
I'm a publisher. I have a knack for copy and I couple that with making my own vision of new media. I did it to make a successful business.
Did you work for your high school newspaper? If so, what did you do there?
I went to a community college in the UK and they barely taught us to spell, let alone offered such wondrous opportunity.
What story are you most proud of writing or working on?
I wrote a piece about Brighton, Sussex, becoming the UK's digital hub. It's spot on and if policymakers embraced it, would work.
What advice can you offer to aspiring journalists?
Be more of a risk taker, promote startups. Your product is the most undervalued commodity in the global economy. Change that.
When's the best time to pitch you?
Thursdays at 3pm. Or when i'm sipping a fine piping hot cuppa.
