Jim Hagerty
Verified
As seen in:
WQRF-TV (Rockford, IL),
WTVO-TV (Rockford, IL),
MSN,
Yahoo Entertainment,
Yahoo Life,
USA Today,
Yahoo Canada,
Yahoo News,
Aol,
Yahoo Finance,
Flipboard,
Yahoo Sports
and
Covers:
Everything from politics to punk rock.
Journalist
Interview
What was your first job as a journalist?
A 15-year-old sports stringer for my hometown newspaper. I covered JV football.
Have you ever used a typewriter?
Sure have.
How is social media changing news?
It has created a need for engaging content.
Who's your favorite fictional journalist?
Perry White
What does it mean to be a journalist?
Serving the community with fair, accurate and balanced reporting.
What's the funniest news-related #hashtag you've seen?
They're all a little funny.
How do you prefer to be pitched on stories?
Shoot me a text.
What tools and software do you use to do your job?
All things Adobe and Apple.
What's your favorite social network?
Facebook
Who do you wish followed you?
George Will.
Why did you become a journalist?
That's a tough question because journalism has interested me since I was a kid.
Did you work for your high school newspaper? If so, what did you do there?
I did not. But I reported for my college paper, The North Wind.
What story are you most proud of writing or working on?
Probably coverage of a school superintendent who let's say didn't have the community's best interest at heart.
What advice can you offer to aspiring journalists?
Return calls. Be fair.
When's the best time to pitch you?
My phone is always on, even when it isn't.
What's the best pitch you ever got?
They're all the best in their own way.
What's the worst pitch you ever got?
I've listened to countless bad pitches. The one for a series about a woman who was angry about her sister's inheritance comes to mind.
What's your favorite drink?
Sparkling water.
When you're not at a computer, where are you most likely to be?
On my phone.
Aside from your own, what's your favorite publication to read?
These days, it's the Washington Examiner.
What's the most common misperception about your beat?
That everything is a conspiracy.
Would you like to take the Muck Rack Interview?
Create a Muck Rack profile.