James Patterson
(He/Him)
As seen in:
Hello Monday with Jessi Hempel,
LinkedIn,
The New York Times,
SFGate,
The Christian Science Monitor,
AL.com,
Cleveland.com,
RTÉ,
Boston Herald,
Des Moines Register
and
Covers:
Foreign Affairs, economics, geopolitics, cyber, food security, diplomacy, Foggy Bottom, Capitol Hill, Washington DC, globalization
Diplomat/economist/journalist; GOP official Indianapolis/WashDC; Reporter in 2014's "Selma"; former husband Evelyn Y. Davis muckrack.com/jim-patterson-6
Interview
What was your first job as a journalist?
Technology reporter for Government Computer News, PC Monitor, Social Science Computer Review, and others.
Have you ever used a typewriter?
Yes, I have two typewriters in my office.
How is social media changing news?
It's making stories shorter.
Who's your favorite fictional journalist?
William Boot
What does it mean to be a journalist?
To report accurately and without bias.
What's the funniest news-related #hashtag you've seen?
Blank
How do you prefer to be pitched on stories?
I prefer email.
What tools and software do you use to do your job?
Microsoft software, HP hardware
What's your favorite social network?
LinkedIn.
Who do you wish followed you?
Megyn Kelly, Star Parker, Jeff Jacoby, Howard Carr, Larry Elder, Deroy Murdock, Thomas Sowell, Victor Davis Hansen
Why did you become a journalist?
To accurately report on news events.
Did you work for your high school newspaper? If so, what did you do there?
Book reviews and National Guard stories, The National Guard was next door to the high school.
What story are you most proud of writing or working on?
In San Francisco, I covered the Chelsea Manning controversy for Bay Area Reporter, I became friends with Daniel Ellsberg.
What advice can you offer to aspiring journalists?
Great journalism is not easy!
When's the best time to pitch you?
Early am
What's the best pitch you ever got?
I got pitched to share how it felt to be mistaken for the novelist show shares my name.
What's the worst pitch you ever got?
Because a novelist shares my name, I get pitched to share his life. UGH!
What's your favorite drink?
Red wine
When you're not at a computer, where are you most likely to be?
Library
Aside from your own, what's your favorite publication to read?
Wall Street Journal.
What's the most common misperception about your beat?
It's easy.
Would you like to take the Muck Rack Interview?
Create a Muck Rack profile.