John Neff
Verified
As seen in:
MSN,
MSN Canada,
MSN India,
MSN Ireland,
MSN Malaysia,
MSN Singapore,
UOL,
Wirecutter,
MSN South Africa,
Wiley Online Library
and
Covers:
Automotive, LEGO, automotive-themed toys, RVs, online car auctions
Interview
What was your first job as a journalist?
Editor-in-Chief of a print magazine based in Detroit called 'Speed, Style & Sound'.
Have you ever used a typewriter?
Not regularly. I grew up in the late '80s and '90s when personal computers were becoming popular.
How is social media changing news?
Social media is one of many distribution channels for news. It can be extremely effective but each social platform has its own nuances.
Who's your favorite fictional journalist?
Clark Kent!
What tools and software do you use to do your job?
The hardware I use is a laptop, a DSLR, and an iPhone, while the software I use most often is Photoshop, Google Docs, and a CMS.
What's your favorite social network?
These days it's YouTube. I remember the early days of the platform and never imagined I'd be watching it at night on my TV, but I do now.
Who do you wish followed you?
Neil deGrasse Tyson.
Why did you become a journalist?
I fell in love with automotive journalism from my obsession with car magazines as a kid.
Did you work for your high school newspaper? If so, what did you do there?
No, but in high school I was involved closely with the production of our schools plays and musicals, usually behind the scenes in stage crew.
What story are you most proud of writing or working on?
After the first CARS movie came out, I wrote an article teaching people how to turn their own cars into CARS characters and it went viral.
What advice can you offer to aspiring journalists?
Create your own site where you can publish stories before someone is paying you to. They need to see your work somewhere.
When's the best time to pitch you?
Anytime! I try to receive pitches openly no matter when they come, and if I'm not ready for it, I'll set it aside until I am.
What's your favorite drink?
Caffeine-free Diet Pepsi.
When you're not at a computer, where are you most likely to be?
Walking outside, reading, or researching my favorite interests, such as LEGO, traveling by RV, and online vehicle auctions.
What's the most common misperception about your beat?
That automotive news is just regurgitating what someone else wrote. A good news post includes original analysis and contextualization.
Would you like to take the Muck Rack Interview?
Create a Muck Rack profile.