What was your first job as a journalist?
Contributing writer for the Entertainment Section of Panther Press, the college paper at Florida International University
Have you ever used a typewriter?
I wish
How is social media changing news?
We're too focused on what people are saying on Twitter, when the majority of people don't use it.
Who's your favorite fictional journalist?
Lois Lane
What does it mean to be a journalist?
To hold power to account, and to shine a spotlight on the human societal experience, one story at a time.
What's the funniest news-related #hashtag you've seen?
Not always funny, but always appropriate:
How do you prefer to be pitched on stories?
Email
What tools and software do you use to do your job?
Google Docs, Google Sheets, Onelook Thesaurus, Otter.ai
What's your favorite social network?
Cliche: the New York Times
Who do you wish followed you?
E.J. Dickson from Rolling Stone
Why did you become a journalist?
Getting to write for a living is a blessing, and getting to do something different every day is a rare gift.
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?
My feature profile of Enrique Tarrio, Miami-based leader of the Proud Boys
What advice can you offer to aspiring journalists?
Prioritize your mental health, and read read read. Become a voracious reader, and apply other people's techniques to your own writing.
When's the best time to pitch you?
Between 9 a.m. and 11 a.m. EST
What's the best pitch you ever got?
"There's video of a city commissioner at an illegal night club getting busted by the cops"
What's the worst pitch you ever got?
"Hi Ceballos. Tropical storm season is coming. Wanna talk to an insurance company?"
What's your favorite drink?
Amber Ale
When you're not at a computer, where are you most likely to be?
Striking up conversation with whoever's in earshot
What's the most common misperception about your beat?
That I have one. Or that I can cover things outside of Miami
