Jerry Chiemeke
Verified
(He/Him)
As seen in:
Medium,
Die Welt,
Substack,
The i Paper,
The Guardian (Nigeria),
Pulse Nigeria,
Bella Naija,
The Africa Report,
BusinessDay Nigeria,
Nigerian Entertainment Today
and
Covers:
Music, Film, Literature, Culture, Lifestyle, Mental Health, Tech, Metro
Doesn't Cover:
Business
Writer-Journalist | Lawyer | Marketing & Comms Guy | 📚: Dreaming Of Ways To Understand You | Words in @TheAfricaReport @welt @theipaper @JoburgReview + more
Interview
What was your first job as a journalist?
Freelance editor for a lifestyle blog in 2016
Have you ever used a typewriter?
No, I have not.
How is social media changing news?
People have more access to news, they are no longer wholly reliant on conventional media, and it is easier to see multiple angles of news reports. Unfortunately, however, there has also been a proliferation of fake news.
Who's your favorite fictional journalist?
Irwin Fletcher
What does it mean to be a journalist?
It means searching for truth, it means expression, it means being a voice.
What's the funniest news-related #hashtag you've seen?
How do you prefer to be pitched on stories?
I prefer to be pitched via social media, Twitter in particular. Mail works for me too.
What tools and software do you use to do your job?
Pretty basic tools, really.
What's your favorite social network?
Twitter
Who do you wish followed you?
The New York times
Why did you become a journalist?
I love digging for information, expanding my scope of knowledge and commenting on the culture, especially as it pertains to music and art
Did you work for your high school newspaper? If so, what did you do there?
I worked as the Vice President for the newspaper
What story are you most proud of writing or working on?
Grammarly, for the writing.
What advice can you offer to aspiring journalists?
Do not sacrifice truth and credibility for quick breaks and clicks. More importantly, write from the heart.
When's the best time to pitch you?
Best time to pitch to me would be evening, from 5.00pm GMT. My time zone is GMT +1
What's the best pitch you ever got?
I've got a number of good pitches, I really can't say which one stood out
What's the worst pitch you ever got?
I got a pitch to review a 3500-word essay for free.
What's your favorite drink?
Bitter Lemon soda
When you're not at a computer, where are you most likely to be?
On my bed, reading a book or surfing the web with my phone
Aside from your own, what's your favorite publication to read?
The New Yorker
What's the most common misperception about your beat?
That I am wimpy and acerbic
Would you like to take the Muck Rack Interview?
Create a Muck Rack profile.