What was your first job as a journalist?
Copy editor at The Augusta (Ga.) Chronicle
Have you ever used a typewriter?
Never seriously.
How is social media changing news?
It's making everything happen faster and more publicly. It's turning news into a real-time marketplace of ideas.
Who's your favorite fictional journalist?
Henry Hackett, "The Paper"
What does it mean to be a journalist?
It means I am trusted to be a conduit between important information and the people who want and need it.
What's the funniest news-related #hashtag you've seen?
How do you prefer to be pitched on stories?
A quick email that appeals to both the brain and the heart.
What tools and software do you use to do your job?
A smartphone, a laptop, at least one police scanner and my Nikon D5100. Software: Hootsuite, Chrome, Word and a heavy dose of Google Maps.
What's your favorite social network?
Twitter.
Who do you wish followed you?
Everyone.
Why did you become a journalist?
Every day I get paid to learn something new.
Did you work for your high school newspaper? If so, what did you do there?
Nope.
What story are you most proud of writing or working on?
Everything I did in the aftermath of the April 27, 2011, tornado in Tuscaloosa.
What advice can you offer to aspiring journalists?
Learn to spell. Learn proper grammar. Read your copy. Always want the story.
When's the best time to pitch you?
Evenings.
