What was your first job as a journalist?
A story for the Sunset Beacon of SF about a goose gone missing from Golden Gate Park.
Have you ever used a typewriter?
Yes! I learned to type on a manual in high school, then an IBM selectric.
How is social media changing news?
On the up side it’s getting news out there to many people from many backgrounds. Down side is it can be misused and ubiquitous.
Who's your favorite fictional journalist?
I know of several real life journalists who have become legendary. One that comes to mind who went on to write fiction is Mark Twain.
What does it mean to be a journalist?
It means to be challenged. Sometimes disregarded or humbled. But if the journalist grows personally, professionally it’s a win!
What's the funniest news-related #hashtag you've seen?
Have not seen one yet that would make laugh out loud.
How do you prefer to be pitched on stories?
Email is good. Yet a phone call is good too.
What tools and software do you use to do your job?
These days it’s the smart phone, or electronic device in all it’s aspects.
What's your favorite social network?
I don’t have a favorite at the moment. But I recognize networking as a routine of today.
Who do you wish followed you?
Anyone who cares about local as well as world news.
Why did you become a journalist?
Journalism chose me. Really! Honestly that’s a fact. Journalism pulls me out into the world. And it pushes me out of opinions/comfort zones.
Did you work for your high school newspaper? If so, what did you do there?
Yes! Back then I mostly wrote stories and thought up headlines. Too timid then to do editing or pagination.
What story are you most proud of writing or working on?
So many! But one that comes to mind is the ones I did for The Mission Dispatch of SF, especially about St. Luke’s Hospital.
What advice can you offer to aspiring journalists?
Let journalism pull you out into the world
When's the best time to pitch you?
In the morning before 12noon
What's the best pitch you ever got?
When everything comes together quickly, even difficult sources, that’s cake!
What's the worst pitch you ever got?
Usually, I let stories and angles speak to me. If it’s weak, I wait to see if it returns to me again.
What's your favorite drink?
Anything that’s delicious, nutritious but doesn’t give me a hangover!
When you're not at a computer, where are you most likely to be?
In the library or out and about, in the world, where journalists need to be
Aside from your own, what's your favorite publication to read?
I try to read as much as I can. Yet, if only one paper for the day, it’s The Los Angeles Times.
What's the most common misperception about your beat?
Local news at the grassroots level is often ignored. Usually because it’s mundane. Yet it is where people are and most real to life.
