J.R. Duren
Verified
As seen in:
The Independent (UK),
MSN,
MSN Australia,
MSN UK,
Yahoo Entertainment,
Yahoo Life,
Yahoo Canada,
Yahoo News Australia,
Yahoo News Malaysia,
Yahoo News New Zealand,
Yahoo News UK
and
Covers:
Credit cards, credit scores, student loans, personal/SMB loans, mortgages and the personal finance side of health care.
Doesn't Cover:
Investing, global markets, currency exchange, commodities and anything that isn't related to personal finance.
Interview
What was your first job as a journalist?
Writing stringer features for the sports section of the Daily Californian in El Cajon, CA.
Have you ever used a typewriter?
Yes, in high school; it's the machine on which I learned to type. My parents refused to let me use their computer until I learned type.
How is social media changing news?
Increases response rate to news, brings to light otherwise obscure personal stories, sacrifices accuracy for expediency
What does it mean to be a journalist?
To set personal views aside for the mastery of art and truth.
What's the funniest news-related #hashtag you've seen?
#electionnight. The photos of pizza and bleary-eyed reporters never gets old.
How do you prefer to be pitched on stories?
Simply and with good sources. I hate product pitches unless they're fintech banking/investing.
What tools and software do you use to do your job?
Microsoft Word, Google Drive and MOZ.
What's your favorite social network?
Twitter and Reddit.
Who do you wish followed you?
Lane DeGregory
Why did you become a journalist?
Because I love to write and I love the truth.
Did you work for your high school newspaper? If so, what did you do there?
Yes. I was a reporter for the Valhalla Saga for one year. I covered sports.
What story are you most proud of writing or working on?
A 2011 feature on a spitfire of a woman with breast cancer. Her name was Sandy. She died a few months after the story was published.
What advice can you offer to aspiring journalists?
Facts matter.
When's the best time to pitch you?
Between 6:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., EST.
What's the worst pitch you ever got?
A constantly recurring pitch for Swamp Butt underwear. Hate it. So gross. So tacky.
What's your favorite drink?
Single-origin coffee brewed with a Chemex. And sugar-free Monster energy drinks.
When you're not at a computer, where are you most likely to be?
On my phone or binge watching Netflix or HBO.
Aside from your own, what's your favorite publication to read?
The feature story below the fold in the WSJ.
What's the most common misperception about your beat?
That there's no difference between a personal finance blogger and a personal finance reporter.
Would you like to take the Muck Rack Interview?
Create a Muck Rack profile.