What was your first job as a journalist?
Working on the results desk at The Sunday Times
Have you ever used a typewriter?
Yes, many many moons ago.
How is social media changing news?
These days news can be instant from a multitude of sources. The skill as a journalist is in knowing the story behind the news.
What does it mean to be a journalist?
It's the next best thing to being a professional footballer.
How do you prefer to be pitched on stories?
The subject of the story has to be right for the journalist. A good PR will have done their homework on that front.
Who do you wish followed you?
That's an odd aspiration. Surely who you follow matters more. It's nice to have followers but not something to worry about.
Why did you become a journalist?
It allowed me to get paid for talking and writing about football. My careers adviser was wrong. Follow your passions.
What advice can you offer to aspiring journalists?
Work hard, never turn any assignment down. You can pick and choose when you've made a name for yourself.
When you're not at a computer, where are you most likely to be?
Watching football or thrashing a guitar
Aside from your own, what's your favorite publication to read?
The Times
What's the most common misperception about your beat?
That anybody can write. Anybody can, but add in tight deadlines, a need for 100% accuracy and authenticity of your sources... that's reality.
