Kevin Canessa
Verified
(He/Him)
As seen in:
The Observer (Kearny, NJ),
NJ.com
Tweets are my own. Jesuit trained. Newspaper editor. #NJDevils. 46. Be fearless! #BluetotheCore #Smokefl33t enthusiast #AlwaysKnicks
Interview
What was your first job as a journalist?
I was a stringer for the Jersey Journal at age 17, my senior year in high school. (1992).
Have you ever used a typewriter?
Sure — throughout high school, actually, and first year of college.
How is social media changing news?
... for the better in helping grow our audience ... for the worse because untrained people now believe they're journalists.
Who's your favorite fictional journalist?
NA
What does it mean to be a journalist?
Telling the truth. If you're unwilling to do so, don't dare call yourself a journalist.
What's the funniest news-related #hashtag you've seen?
None
How do you prefer to be pitched on stories?
Email.
What tools and software do you use to do your job?
inDesign, Word and Acrobat mostly on Mac platform.
What's your favorite social network?
Facebook, but I really do not like social media. The platforms are a cesspool for incorrect, often libelous information.
Who do you wish followed you?
President Joseph R. Biden Jr.
Why did you become a journalist?
I love writing — and telling the truth.
Did you work for your high school newspaper? If so, what did you do there?
Barely, but I wrote sports columns.
What story are you most proud of writing or working on?
In 2019, our newspaper covered the Keegan Landfill fiasco in Kearny and our publication was instrumental in getting it shut down.
What advice can you offer to aspiring journalists?
You must have an internship as part of your training. I learned much of what I know from mine. Classroom training just won't cut it.
When's the best time to pitch you?
After noon, before 5 p.m.
What's the best pitch you ever got?
NA
What's the worst pitch you ever got?
Too many to list one — so many pitches are written in long form. They should be short. They must have a nut graph, but rarely do.
What's your favorite drink?
Coffee. End.
When you're not at a computer, where are you most likely to be?
Sleeping
Aside from your own, what's your favorite publication to read?
The New York Daily News.
What's the most common misperception about your beat?
People still believe our newspaper is owned by the Town of Kearny. It never has been. It's been privately owned since its inception in 1887.
Would you like to take the Muck Rack Interview?
Create a Muck Rack profile.