What was your first job as a journalist?
I went in at the deep end as a teenager, interviewing scary people in the far right - for an anti-racist newsletter.
Have you ever used a typewriter?
I was thrilled to discover a typewriter in a cupboard when I was seven, and quickly adopted it, but never used it for professional work.
How is social media changing news?
It's proliferating falsehoods, which is why editorial services and the building of trust capital in citizen journalism are essential.
Who's your favorite fictional journalist?
Phyllis Watson in John Wyndham's 'The Kraken Wakes'.
What does it mean to be a journalist?
People think it's about getting heard, but more often it's about knowing when to shut up and listen.
What's the funniest news-related #hashtag you've seen?
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How do you prefer to be pitched on stories?
Feel free to contact me by email or on X/Twitter, Mastodon or Bluesky. For unsolicited film reviews, try January or September.
What tools and software do you use to do your job?
I'm stuck with Windows because it's what people I edit for use. I would much prefer Linux but the emulators are not quite there yet.
What's your favorite social network?
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Who do you wish followed you?
Honestly, as long as I can get people's attention when I want to pitch, I couldn't care less.
Why did you become a journalist?
I was fascinated by it as a child. I wrote my first book at 14. At 20 I became a full time carer and had to use my skill to make ends meet.
Did you work for your high school newspaper? If so, what did you do there?
I didn't go to that kind of high school. People thought it hilarious that I was working on writing books. They aspired to shelf stacking.
What story are you most proud of writing or working on?
I don't really feel like that about them. I just try to be a conduit for people with often very painful human stories, or powerful art.
What advice can you offer to aspiring journalists?
Successful journalists build consistent brands. Good journalists are always ready to change their minds.
When's the best time to pitch you?
January or September.
What's the best pitch you ever got?
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What's the worst pitch you ever got?
There are lots of mediocre filmmakers out there (always, thus far, white men) who think they're doing me a favour by offering an interview.
What's your favorite drink?
I'm allergic to alcohol and caffeine, and medically forbidden to have grapefruit juice, so I guess that makes it elderflower water.
When you're not at a computer, where are you most likely to be?
In bed. I'm housebound due to my disability and there's not much else I physically can do.
Aside from your own, what's your favorite publication to read?
On film, Variety. On other subjects, I follow writers more than publications. I like Tope Fadiran, Thomas Zimmer and AR Moxon.
What's the most common misperception about your beat?
That we're terribly delicate. I've spent years around cancer wards listening to much darker humour than most people can handle.
