What was your first job as a journalist?
Editor at an architecture magazine
Have you ever used a typewriter?
I miss them for the tactile quality of bashing the keys.
How is social media changing news?
Nothing original to say: clickbait, outrage, bullying. However a lot of people still say and show useful stuff. I guess there's hope.
What does it mean to be a journalist?
I'm mainly an explainer since I write mainly for general audiences and aficionados who may not have deep knowledge.
How do you prefer to be pitched on stories?
Via email: pithy, to the point (and it's got to have one). Include or link visuals if relevant.
What tools and software do you use to do your job?
Pretty much old fashioned: research, interview, visit the place, people where it happened
What's your favorite social network?
I don't have a favorite. Each one I use has different advantages.
Who do you wish followed you?
Ezra Klein, David Remnick
Why did you become a journalist?
I am endlessly curious and found out I'm a better writer than architect, my previous profession.
Did you work for your high school newspaper? If so, what did you do there?
Yes, Wrote, edited and drew cartoons that got me in trouble.
What story are you most proud of writing or working on?
I hate these kinds of best of/worst of questions. I like several of my stories for different reasons. This survey is much too long.
What advice can you offer to aspiring journalists?
I hate this question because there are just not enough opportunities. Just try to be good at your craft and you'll be ready.
When's the best time to pitch you?
workday, but if email doesn't matter
What's the best pitch you ever got?
I've gotten plenty of good ones but no one stands out.
What's the worst pitch you ever got?
There are too many candidates to sort out a worst. Just zero in on the point.
When you're not at a computer, where are you most likely to be?
On my bike or traipsing NYC or whatever other city I am in.
Aside from your own, what's your favorite publication to read?
The New Yorker is still the pinnacle.
What's the most common misperception about your beat?
they think I am a person who understands IT architecture when my beat is the architecture of buildings.
