Michael Kaplan
Verified
(He/Him)
As seen in:
New York Post,
The New York Times,
The New York Times Magazine,
MarketWatch,
The Daily Beast,
Inc.,
GQ,
Maxim,
Los Angeles Magazine,
Golf Digest,
Mansion Global
and
Covers:
I cover gambling, entertainment, technology, crime, travel, food and wine.
Interview
What was your first job as a journalist?
Writing for a punk rock fanzine as a teenage kid within commuting distance of CBGB and Max's Kansas City.
Have you ever used a typewriter?
Yes! And I do not particularly miss it.
How is social media changing news?
I think too many people are getting their news from social media.
Who's your favorite fictional journalist?
Raoul Duke
What does it mean to be a journalist?
I means cluing people in on things that they would not ordinarily know about.
How do you prefer to be pitched on stories?
Phone or email or text. It's a big world!
What's your favorite social network?
The one that exists in real life...
Who do you wish followed you?
The holy trinity, of course: Patti Smith, Bob Dylan, Lou Reed. One is no longer with us, but, still...
Why did you become a journalist?
To satisfy curiosity and meet the coolest people. What can be better?
Did you work for your high school newspaper? If so, what did you do there?
Yes. I wrote mostly entertainment stories. But then I got to cover my high shool for the local paper, which was cooler.
What story are you most proud of writing or working on?
The story I did for NY Times Magazine about casino advantage players. Check it out!
What advice can you offer to aspiring journalists?
Write stories for whoever will have you...
When's the best time to pitch you?
Any time, if you have a great story. I'm always looking for scoops!
What's the best pitch you ever got?
Not sure. But hopefully it took me to some far-flung place with amazingly interesting people.
What's the worst pitch you ever got?
Probably something that has already been written about a zillion times.
What's your favorite drink?
It depends on who I am drinking with.
When you're not at a computer, where are you most likely to be?
Hopefully, out where the action is for a story I want to write.
Aside from your own, what's your favorite publication to read?
New Yorker. The writing and editing are both great.
What's the most common misperception about your beat?
Maybe that it's easy.
Would you like to take the Muck Rack Interview?
Create a Muck Rack profile.