Jesse Stiller
Verified
(He/Him)
As seen in:
Check Your Fact,
MSN,
Aol,
Yahoo Sports,
Yahoo Sports Canada,
The Daily Caller,
WND,
The Daily Signal,
The Western Journal,
Independent Journal Review,
Before It's News
and
Covers:
Currently: Immigration/Business/SCOTUS and Legal; Previously: Misinformation/Finance/Big-Tent Issues
Doesn't Cover:
I'm open to covering anything and everything, but I always prefer to stick to something I am familiar with.
Interview
What was your first job as a journalist?
High School Newspaper, Eastside. My first PAID position was Campus Reform.
Have you ever used a typewriter?
No, but it would be fun to try.
How is social media changing news?
While it gives us better and easier access to breaking and incoming news, there is a risk for fake news.
Who's your favorite fictional journalist?
All of the journalists I look up to are real. The only one I have taken note of is Ron Burgundy from Anchorman.
What does it mean to be a journalist?
To report the news in a neutral, informative manner to give the public insight on an issue.
What's the funniest news-related #hashtag you've seen?
I have no idea, there's a few I have seen, but I can't remember off the top of my head.
How do you prefer to be pitched on stories?
I prefer to be pitched via email, but I have no preference on the length of the pitch.
What tools and software do you use to do your job?
I use WordPress to type and edit, Adobe Premier to edit videos.
What's your favorite social network?
I don't use social media much anymore, it's become very toxic and unproductive.
Who do you wish followed you?
I really don't care who follows me, just as long as they're getting their news and information for the day.
Why did you become a journalist?
I was unhappy with the current state of journalism, there's not enough content-neutral journalists out there.
Did you work for your high school newspaper? If so, what did you do there?
Yes, I worked for the school newspaper between 2014 and 2016. I would rotate from hard news to culture to other topics on occasion.
What story are you most proud of writing or working on?
The UMass Funding Story was probably my best work so far, it took over a month to complete.
What advice can you offer to aspiring journalists?
Take a chance, don't wait for the story to come to you, go find it.
When's the best time to pitch you?
I can receive pitches all day, but I prefer the Afternoon (12pm-5pm) or evening (5pm-8pm).
What's the best pitch you ever got?
The UMass one, no question.
What's the worst pitch you ever got?
There is no "bad pitch," all pitches are good until you look into it further.
What's your favorite drink?
Water
When you're not at a computer, where are you most likely to be?
Out and about for a walk or on the phone.
Aside from your own, what's your favorite publication to read?
My go-to outlet would be the Associated Press for wire stories and The New York Times for all other stories. Of course I do read more.
What's the most common misperception about your beat?
That it's easy. It's not.
Would you like to take the Muck Rack Interview?
Create a Muck Rack profile.