What was your first job as a journalist?
I started as the City Hall Reporter for the Galion (Ohio) Enquirer the week after leaving college. We wrote, edited and laid out the paper.
Have you ever used a typewriter?
Had a whole collection of them when I was younger, from an antique Blickensderfer to a workhorse Remington to the dreamy IBM Selectric.
How is social media changing news?
Forces journalism to be more conversational and comprehensible, which is good. Adds rumor-busting time to our to-do lists, which can be bad.
Who's your favorite fictional journalist?
Lou Grant. I loved Ed Asner starting with the Mary Tyler Moore show and he went sitcom-to-drama at the exact moment I did.
How do you prefer to be pitched on stories?
By phone. Come fully informed, armed with facts and ready to talk fast, as I'm often on deadline.
What tools and software do you use to do your job?
Dell computer (laptap), landline, digital tape recorder, iPhone, Reporter's Notebook and pen. Plus, dictionary, thesaurus, AP Stylebook
What's your favorite social network?
Facebook.
Who do you wish followed you?
Fellow Ohioan George Clooney. That's the only reason. Because he's from Ohio.
Why did you become a journalist?
Powerful, interesting arguments were a constant in my big family. Politics, dishes, God, didn't matter. I enjoyed the varying points of view.
Did you work for your high school newspaper? If so, what did you do there?
Yes, it's true, I was editor-in-chief of the CAHSmic Herald.
What story are you most proud of writing or working on?
Diebold CEO Walden O'Dell's pledge to deliver Ohio's electoral votes for G.W. Bush, among many.
What advice can you offer to aspiring journalists?
Find yourself a life partner with a 9-5 job, a passion for news and a good sense of humor. They'll need it.
When's the best time to pitch you?
Mid-afternoon.
