Josh Tolentino
Verified
(He/Him)
As seen in:
RPG Site,
MSN,
MSN Canada,
MSN Singapore,
MSN UK,
MSN Malaysia,
Destructoid,
GameRant,
Siliconera,
NewsBreak,
Kane County Chronicle
and
Covers:
I specialize in games, Japanese pop media (anime and manga), and general culture and tech writing. I can also do PR, ad copy, and other writing.
Doesn't Cover:
I won't do promotional/sponsored work for cryptocurrency, NFTs, or similar fields. I also won't do unmarked sponsored reviews, but mock reviews are fine.
not here anymore, as much as possible. Pro contacts in Carrd.
Interview
What was your first job as a journalist?
I wrote a guest review for The Escapist reviewing Naruto Ultimate Ninja Storm 2. First paying job was reviewing Amnesia for Destructoid.
Have you ever used a typewriter?
Yes! My high school still had typing classes that used old-school typewriters. My fingers hurt a lot after.
How is social media changing news?
It's certainly accelerating news, but a lot of the bits and pieces that make it news are coming off the train.
Who's your favorite fictional journalist?
Kai Shiden
What does it mean to be a journalist?
I think it means writing honestly above all. You can write SEO fluff as you need to but when it comes down to it you need to be honest.
What's the funniest news-related #hashtag you've seen?
The ones with "sweep" are usually decent.
How do you prefer to be pitched on stories?
Whenever and wherever!
What tools and software do you use to do your job?
Notepad.exe and a keyboard. I also try to use OneNote and the Google Suite to keep some things organized.
What's your favorite social network?
Twitter, though I hope to make it Cohost.
Who do you wish followed you?
Cool Australian fellow who goes by Xythar on Twitter.
Why did you become a journalist?
I like to write, and I wasn't much for writing a lot of fiction. The most accessible form of non-fiction is news reporting! That, and ads.
Did you work for your high school newspaper? If so, what did you do there?
We didn't have a high school newspaper.
What story are you most proud of writing or working on?
I really liked my Kabul piece from a long time ago. It's one of the relatively few personal stories I've done.
What advice can you offer to aspiring journalists?
Do what you need to, but stay honest.
When's the best time to pitch you?
Anytime's good! My typical timezone means most pitchers hit me up while I'm asleep, anyway.
What's the best pitch you ever got?
A great one proposing to visit actual Tsushima island to do something related to Ghost of Tsushima. Too bad they wanted us to pay travel.
What's the worst pitch you ever got?
Too many crypto/metaverse pitches to count.
What's your favorite drink?
Coke Zero Sugar.
When you're not at a computer, where are you most likely to be?
Lying on the floor.
Aside from your own, what's your favorite publication to read?
For game news, I like reading Japanese leak sites, Famitsu, and Dengeki, as well as English sites like Eurogamer, Siliconera, and Waypoint.
What's the most common misperception about your beat?
That we're making a lot of money.
Would you like to take the Muck Rack Interview?
Create a Muck Rack profile.