What was your first job as a journalist?
At my college newspaper at UMass, aptly named The Collegian. Most fun I ever had.
Have you ever used a typewriter?
Yes
How is social media changing news?
It's making it much better, and much worse
Who's your favorite fictional journalist?
Fletch, of course
What does it mean to be a journalist?
That you get paid to ask questions and find the answers to them, which is great. I hope we don't all go the way of the dinosaur.
What's the funniest news-related #hashtag you've seen?
Dunno
How do you prefer to be pitched on stories?
by email, never ever by phone
What tools and software do you use to do your job?
Lots of pens, notebooks, phones, the Internet, Twitter. Facebook, the usual
What's your favorite social network?
I'm enjoying LinkedIn these days after shunning it for years.
Who do you wish followed you?
People who work in the field of national/international security and the journalists who cover them.
Why did you become a journalist?
I wanted to be Hunter S. Thompson
Did you work for your high school newspaper? If so, what did you do there?
High school yearbook.
What story are you most proud of writing or working on?
My coverage of the threat of international terrorism, especially before 9/11 when no one cared and my similar coverage now of organized crime
What advice can you offer to aspiring journalists?
Work harder than everyone else, get the hell out of the office (and Internet) to find your stories and above all, check your facts/sources
When's the best time to pitch you?
by email, with details of what the story is. never, ever, by phone
