Jesse B Staniforth
Montreal
Covers:
Indigenous issues, First Nations, Aboriginal, Native, Canadian politics, Quebec politics, business, technology, network security, music, lifestyle, culture, psychology, books, libraries, death, prison
An award-winning Aboriginal affairs reporter who also covers a variety of subjects across lifestyle, culture, and business
Interview
What was your first job as a journalist?
I began interviewing musicians I loved for college radio when I was 15, and kept on doing so through my 20s.
Have you ever used a typewriter?
Yes, though not recently. I'm old enough to have worked with one in an office and it's given me lasting affection for the backspace key.
How do you prefer to be pitched on stories?
I like to have a sense going in of what the central conflict of the story is, so I can get discussions happening quickly and passionately.
What advice can you offer to aspiring journalists?
Every story (politics! tech! sports!) can be made engaging and readable by focusing on the conflicts and profiling the characters.
When's the best time to pitch you?
Pretty much whenever, though ideally not at the last possible second.
What's the worst pitch you ever got?
I was asked to call the family of a person who died without knowing when or how she had died, or whether there was a story in her death.
What's the most common misperception about your beat?
People presume Native band councils are intrinsically corrupt. They're no more corrupt than other (white) political organizations.
Would you like to take the Muck Rack Interview?
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