Jody Paterson
(She/Her)
As seen in:
The Globe and Mail,
Vancouver Sun,
The Tyee,
The Leaf-Chronicle,
Times Colonist,
Castanet News,
J-Source,
Squamish Chief,
CastanetKamloops.net,
Douglas Magazine
and
Covers:
Social justice issues across the spectrum, homelessness, issues for families of children with disabilities, toxic-drug crisis, human interest, brain injury from intimate partner violence
Doesn't Cover:
Politics, except as a strategy for achieving change on social justice fronts
Writer, editor & communications strategist. Social justice advocate. Proud to stand alongside sex workers in the battle for respect and safe workplaces.
Interview
What was your first job as a journalist?
General reporter, Kamloops Daily Sentinel, 1982.
How is social media changing news?
It's confusing the hell out of people who have no idea how to give any particular source weight.
What tools and software do you use to do your job?
Trusty laptop, Word 2013 because I am resistant to converting to a subscription, much Google searching, newspapers.com
What's your favorite social network?
Instagram, where it's still mostly photos of what's happening now and way less "taking sides."
Why did you become a journalist?
Drifted into it after thinking I wanted to be a radio DJ but then discovering at college that I had a knack for newspaper writing.
What story are you most proud of writing or working on?
The story of Andrew Yam, first person in Canada to win a lawsuit against his parents for abusing him as a child. So much deep digging!
What advice can you offer to aspiring journalists?
Stay curious. Always check in on your biases, and take corrective action if needed. Nobody wants to hear your opinion - go get facts.
When's the best time to pitch you?
Nobody pitches me anymore, but I'm all ears if they want to!
What's the worst pitch you ever got?
A guy who wanted me to do a story about how he was suffering from the constant sound of happy children at the playground near his house.
What's the most common misperception about your beat?
That I am politically left. I'm actually a political agnostic.
Would you like to take the Muck Rack Interview?
Create a Muck Rack profile.