What was your first job as a journalist?
Lifestyles staff writer, Collegiate Times
Have you ever used a typewriter?
Once. Not for anything official, though
Who's your favorite fictional journalist?
William Miller ("Almost Famous")
What does it mean to be a journalist?
To open consumers' eyes to the things in life they don't appreciate or acknowledge, and to encourage independent, critical thought.
How do you prefer to be pitched on stories?
Email, though if you leave me a voicemail and sound excited about your story idea, that certainly won't hurt!
What tools and software do you use to do your job?
Google Drive, BLOX Content Management System, Adobe Audition and SoundCloud (for podcasting)
Who do you wish followed you?
Justin Chang of the Los Angeles Times
Did you work for your high school newspaper? If so, what did you do there?
My high school did not have a newspaper — it was too busy buying warm-up jackets for the soccer team.
What advice can you offer to aspiring journalists?
Learn what it means to develop your own voice. Once you do, stick to it. (It's as close as I can get to saying "Be yourself," but it's true.)
When's the best time to pitch you?
Preferably later in the morning — between 9 and 11 a.m.
What's the worst pitch you ever got?
"What about an article ranking the best pizza in town?"
What's your favorite drink?
Iced chai latte
When you're not at a computer, where are you most likely to be?
The nearest movie theater or record store.
Aside from your own, what's your favorite publication to read?
Esquire
What's the most common misperception about your beat?
That writing lifestyles stories means it is okay to be a tad looser with the facts than a straight news section. (Spoiler alert: it's not.)
