Kacen J. Bayless
Verified
As seen in:
Kansas City Star,
MSN,
Yahoo Canada,
Yahoo News,
Aol,
Yahoo Finance,
Yahoo Finance Canada,
Chicago Tribune,
U.S. News and World Report,
Flipboard,
The Seattle Times
and
Democracy Insider at The Kansas City Star. @MUJSchool grad. kbayless@kcstar.com. DM for Signal.
Interview
What was your first job as a journalist?
Even though it was a class, I still count my time working for my high school publication as my first real journalism job.
Have you ever used a typewriter?
Unfortunately, no. My goal is to buy one with my first official paycheck upon graduation.
How is social media changing news?
Social media is really a double edged sword for journalists. Anybody can report on anything. Society needs journalists to verify the truth.
Who's your favorite fictional journalist?
Ron Burgundy
What does it mean to be a journalist?
To be a truth-seeker and storyteller. My job is to verify what is true, question everything and dare to tell the stories no one else will.
What's the funniest news-related #hashtag you've seen?
How do you prefer to be pitched on stories?
As long as the story follows the main news values of good journalism, I don't care how I'm pitched a story.
What tools and software do you use to do your job?
Give me a laptop, pen, notebook, recorder, camera and a good source and I'm ready to go. (It's hard to list all the different software used).
What's your favorite social network?
Twitter. Big Twitter guy.
Who do you wish followed you?
Pretty obvious...Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein.
Why did you become a journalist?
I believe that everyone has a story and I want to be the person that tells it.
Did you work for your high school newspaper? If so, what did you do there?
I worked for my high school publication, The Marquette Messenger all four years as the Sports Editor, Social Media Editor and beat writer.
What story are you most proud of writing or working on?
Covering the story of a young immigrant and his family after their restaurant was destroyed during the Ferguson protests.
What advice can you offer to aspiring journalists?
Write every single day. Doesn't matter what it is, just make sure you are being creative and putting pen to paper every day.
When's the best time to pitch you?
Anytime. News doesn't stop and neither do I. I'm like a 24/7 news machine.
What's the best pitch you ever got?
Covering a group of women that awarded veterans with hand sown quilts. I turned out to be a wonderful story of loss, redemption and respect.
What's the worst pitch you ever got?
I honestly don't think I've ever gotten a bad pitch. Everybody has a story.
What's your favorite drink?
Diet Coke
When you're not at a computer, where are you most likely to be?
In the newsroom, at a sporting event or on an assignment.
Aside from your own, what's your favorite publication to read?
The Washington Post and the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
What's the most common misperception about your beat?
That just because we cover local news and happenings, the stories aren't as important. Local news coverage is the backbone of journalism.
Would you like to take the Muck Rack Interview?
Create a Muck Rack profile.