Jason Koch
As seen in:
The Edwardsville Intelligencer,
MSN,
The Sacramento Bee,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Tacoma News Tribune,
Wichita Eagle,
BiggerPockets,
Bradenton Herald,
PRLog,
Fresno Bee,
Belleville News-Democrat
and
Covers:
We cover topics revolving around the metro-east suburbs of St. Louis, Missouri.
Doesn't Cover:
With rare exception, we don't cover St. Louis or Missouri unless there is a metro-east connection.
News Editor at the Belleville News-Democrat.
Interview
What was your first job as a journalist?
I interned as a reporter at The Quincy Herald-Whig while I was in high school.
Have you ever used a typewriter?
Yes, but not for work.
How is social media changing news?
It's not changing it so much as it is helping us get crucial information to more people in a much quicker fashion.
Who's your favorite fictional journalist?
Danny Concannon
What does it mean to be a journalist?
It means I am responsible for giving people information, even if it's not the information they want.
What's the funniest news-related #hashtag you've seen?
How do you prefer to be pitched on stories?
Please email me at jkoch@bnd.com or send them to newsroom@bnd.com.
What tools and software do you use to do your job?
CCI Newsgate, Escenic Content Studio, Chartbeat, Omniture, Google Explore, CrowdTangle, Facebook insights, Twitter analytics
What's your favorite social network?
Facebook
Who do you wish followed you?
Anyone who could benefit from the stories we do.
Why did you become a journalist?
I wanted to see my name in the newspaper. And then I discovered I had a talent for it.
Did you work for your high school newspaper? If so, what did you do there?
Yes. I was the editor of both my junior high and high school papers.
What story are you most proud of writing or working on?
Our incredible coverage of the Belleville man who shot a U.S. congressman in the summer of 2017.
What advice can you offer to aspiring journalists?
Never say no to an idea. Dig into it and eventually you'll find a great story.
When's the best time to pitch you?
I work 9 a.m.-6 p.m. central time, so anytime in there.
What's the best pitch you ever got?
I really don't have a good answer for this question.
What's the worst pitch you ever got?
Someone wanted us to drive 2.5 hours to cover a presentation.
What's your favorite drink?
A plain old unsweetened iced tea
When you're not at a computer, where are you most likely to be?
In bed.
Aside from your own, what's your favorite publication to read?
Don't really have a favorite, but constantly scan many looking for story ideas.
What's the most common misperception about your beat?
As a social media and search editor, that everything I do is entirely about numbers and clicks and has little to do with journalism.
Would you like to take the Muck Rack Interview?
Create a Muck Rack profile.