What was your first job as a journalist?
I would say my internship at ABC15 Investigates while in College at Arizona State University. I was there for more than a year.
Have you ever used a typewriter?
YES! And I have to say, I enjoy them. Especially for NAT SOTS... I love the sound they make.
How is social media changing news?
From every angle. I see it as a downfall and a plus. We get more news to more people, faster, but then there's a lot of "fake news" too.
Who's your favorite fictional journalist?
Honestly, I can only think of April O'Neal from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. She was a trail blazer!
What does it mean to be a journalist?
It means holding the powerful accountable, keeping the community informed, preserving democracy and amplifying the voices of the unheard.
How do you prefer to be pitched on stories?
Email is best, but I'm always up for a text message or phone call too.
What tools and software do you use to do your job?
Premiere Pro Suite, a GoPro, my iPhone, DSLRs or broadcast cameras, audio recordings on my phone to write stories while driving is a MUST.
What's your favorite social network?
I have to go with Instagram, but for news, it's got to be Twitter, forever and always.
Who do you wish followed you?
Barbara Walters. I mean, she's a TV News icon, interview expert and the first woman to anchor primetime!
Why did you become a journalist?
To uphold the truth and keep those in charge honest, and while it's not always in the job description; make a difference in the world.
Did you work for your high school newspaper? If so, what did you do there?
My high school actually had a TV news station and that's where I really fell in love with the visual medium of news. I was an MMJ.
What story are you most proud of writing or working on?
Most recently, my housing insecurities beat at Spectrum News. I spent three years covering Texas
What advice can you offer to aspiring journalists?
Know that if you want this job, it's not fame and fortune that keeps you in it, it's passion.
When's the best time to pitch you?
Anytime, really. I'm always checking my email. But mornings are always good because I check my email as soon as I get up!
What's the best pitch you ever got?
I have gotten some really great inside scoops, but when a police officer called me to say a woman was pretending to be a veteran.
What's the worst pitch you ever got?
That's impossible to decide because I get hundreds daily.
What's your favorite drink?
Tough one. I'm a big fan of fresh squeezed juices, the kind you get in a little town from a little shack on the side of the road.
When you're not at a computer, where are you most likely to be?
OUTSIDE, talking to people, gathering intel, shooting video, getting the scoop on the latest stories.
Aside from your own, what's your favorite publication to read?
Since my last gig was in Texas, the Texas Tribune. They really showed how local newspapers are VITAL to our society.
What's the most common misperception about your beat?
That you can do an investigation in a day. I'm all for daily deep dives, but that's just good journalism and fact checking.
