Josh Foreman
As seen in:
Fast Company,
Stars and Stripes,
Literary Hub,
Sun Herald,
SmartCompany (Australia),
The Neshoba Democrat,
Fintech Finance News
Covers:
Southern Culture, History, Food, Society, People, Arts
Writer
Interview
What was your first job as a journalist?
I started writing for Mississippi State's Reflector newspaper when I was in college, then interned at the Madison County Journal.
Have you ever used a typewriter?
Yes, my friend and I used to fill out expired checks with a typewriter as a joke. The checks would be for sexual services, mostly.
How is social media changing news?
I think people have written longform journalism off too quickly -- social media is not a replacement.
Who's your favorite fictional journalist?
One that jumps to mind is Michael Herr -- not fictional exactly, but his memoir from the Vietnam War was fictionalized.
What does it mean to be a journalist?
There are stories everywhere, and most of them will be lost to time. A journalist grabs those stories and preserves them.
What's the funniest news-related #hashtag you've seen?
Probably something related to the "grab them by the *****" scandal.
How do you prefer to be pitched on stories?
I'm most interested in longform projects that examine Southern history and culture. The best way to contact me is by email.
What tools and software do you use to do your job?
Notepad, Chromebook and iMac for writing, Nikon D200 with a range of lenses for photography.
What's your favorite social network?
I love Reddit. The others tend to send me on too much of an emotional ride.
Who do you wish followed you?
A mockingbird, I guess -- they are beautiful singers and it would be nice to look back and always see one.
Why did you become a journalist?
I like to bring stories into the world that would otherwise remain untold.
Did you work for your high school newspaper? If so, what did you do there?
No, college was my first newspaper experience.
What story are you most proud of writing or working on?
I wrote a long essay on the history of pigs in Southern culture for the Southern Review in 2016.
What advice can you offer to aspiring journalists?
I'm still aspiring myself!
When's the best time to pitch you?
Any time.
What's the best pitch you ever got?
I love when an editor assigns me a food or personality feature and lets me get creative with the angle and voice.
What's the worst pitch you ever got?
An editor wanted me to write a "taste off" story and fix it so that a certain advertiser won the competition.
What's your favorite drink?
Wild Turkey, though it hurts my stomach too much these days.
When you're not at a computer, where are you most likely to be?
Working on my house, cooking, setting up Ninja Turtles battles with my 3-year-old son, or slinging spells in a Magic: the Gathering game.
Aside from your own, what's your favorite publication to read?
It has always been the New York Times.
What's the most common misperception about your beat?
That feature writing is "fluff."
Would you like to take the Muck Rack Interview?
Create a Muck Rack profile.