What was your first job as a journalist?
Associate Editor, Computing Canada.
Have you ever used a typewriter?
Yes, wish I hadn't sold my old IBM Selectric! In 1978, Western J School still used them.
How is social media changing news?
Twitter is scooping mass media.
Who's your favorite fictional journalist?
The female reporter in the British version of House of Cards.
What does it mean to be a journalist?
Using the power of story, a journalist seeks to present the true state of affairs to the consumer/reader/viewer in an unbiased fashion.
What's the funniest news-related #hashtag you've seen?
Can't recall but it probably involved Rob Ford.
How do you prefer to be pitched on stories?
email
What tools and software do you use to do your job?
Social media, most Apple devices, many apps.
What's your favorite social network?
Twitter.
Who do you wish followed you?
Other North American mainstream media and opinion makers in public policy, financial industry and consumers seeking financial independence.
Why did you become a journalist?
I wanted to be a writer and be paid to do it.
Did you work for your high school newspaper? If so, what did you do there?
Don't think so but wrote a few news articles for college newspapers and literary magazine.
What story are you most proud of writing or working on?
Whatever I'm writing now. Or: my financial novel, Findependence Day. It is a story: a financial love story.
What advice can you offer to aspiring journalists?
Be versatile and clear on your motives.
When's the best time to pitch you?
10:30 am
