Janae McKenzie
Verified
As seen in:
House Beautiful,
MSN,
MSN Canada,
MSN Ireland,
MSN Singapore,
MSN UK,
Yahoo Entertainment,
Yahoo Life,
MSN Malaysia,
Yahoo Canada,
Yahoo News Malaysia
and
Covers:
Entertainment Industry, Film, TV Shows, Music, Theatre, Pop Culture and Trends, Cultural Events, Festivals, Community Issues
shopping editor @housebeautiful | words: @FoodNetwork @glamourmag @VoxMag @CoMissourian @HerCampus | @mujschool ‘22 & ‘23 | she/her 🏳️🌈
Interview
Have you ever used a typewriter?
Antiqued one on my 18th birthday, but never used.
How is social media changing news?
The audience expects a story written before it happens.
Who's your favorite fictional journalist?
Diane Nguyen (BoJack Horseman) or Katharine Plumber (Newsies)
What does it mean to be a journalist?
It means caring about amplifying the voices of the unheard and using the power of media to inform the world around you.
What tools and software do you use to do your job?
Google Drive, Spotify, Adobe Audition and the Apple Notes app.
What's your favorite social network?
If it counts? YouTube. If it doesn't? Instagram and its intoxicating endless scroll.
Who do you wish followed you?
Lizzo.
Why did you become a journalist?
I fell in love with the idea of journalists as society's heroes, and stayed in love with how our articles shape the way people think.
Did you work for your high school newspaper? If so, what did you do there?
Yes, I wrote opinion pieces, culture coverage and community news. After a year I became the editor-in-chief for our online news site.
What story are you most proud of writing or working on?
My own. Just kidding. I wrote a profile on the manager of Cape Town's oldest gay bar and discovered the life of LGBT individuals in SA.
What advice can you offer to aspiring journalists?
All kinds of journalism have a strong foundation in writing. Open your eyes to your community and start writing about it.
When's the best time to pitch you?
Between 11 a.m. and 6 p.m.
What's the worst pitch you ever got?
A band called Satan's God sent their CD of a baby crying over sustained guitar notes to our newsroom, complete with psychedelic stickers.
What's your favorite drink?
Diet Coke, by a landslide.
When you're not at a computer, where are you most likely to be?
Sitting by a body of water listening to music.
What's the most common misperception about your beat?
That culture is "soft" news and less important than "hard" news. The art that people consume can influence their world view immeasurably.
Would you like to take the Muck Rack Interview?
Create a Muck Rack profile.