Juan Michael Porter II
Verified
(He/Him)
As seen in:
TheBody,
TheBodyPro.com,
Medium,
HuffPost,
Time Out New York,
Observer,
SYFY,
BroadwayWorld,
Queerty,
Them,
Colorlines,
Electric Literature
and
Covers:
Black lives, Arts & Culture, HIV Advocacy, Sexual Health, Education, LGBTQ+, Outdoors, Politics.
Interview
What was your first job as a journalist?
Dance critic.
Have you ever used a typewriter?
Yes.
How is social media changing news?
By allowing readers to directly shape what is considered newsworthy.
Who's your favorite fictional journalist?
Peter Parker
What does it mean to be a journalist?
To me, it means providing a bullhorn for the issues that matter to and effect marginalized communities.
What's the funniest news-related #hashtag you've seen?
How do you prefer to be pitched on stories?
Via email.
What tools and software do you use to do your job?
Basically just Slack, Airtable, Google Documents/Word, my chromebook, Outlook, my phone, and recording/transcriber app.
What's your favorite social network?
Twitter
Who do you wish followed you?
Pina Bausch
Why did you become a journalist?
Because I felt that the writers I was reading were ignoring important details that seemed obvious to me.
Did you work for your high school newspaper? If so, what did you do there?
No.
What story are you most proud of writing or working on?
The Terence Greene sexual abuse story at Cleveland School of the Arts.
What advice can you offer to aspiring journalists?
Apply for everything; go big or go home.
When's the best time to pitch you?
The morning.
What's the best pitch you ever got?
These actors are fighting to change equity in NYC. I want to focus on why it feels differently than every other time.
What's the worst pitch you ever got?
"The comedienne talks with her hoo-ha. Here's how she'll make you queef too."
What's your favorite drink?
NYC tap water.
When you're not at a computer, where are you most likely to be?
Sitting on my couch reading a book.
Aside from your own, what's your favorite publication to read?
The Washington Post
What's the most common misperception about your beat?
That no one cares about it; rather, that it is niche.
Would you like to take the Muck Rack Interview?
Create a Muck Rack profile.