Koena Mashale
(She/Her)
Pretoria
As seen in:
Sowetan,
30 years of democracy,
Sunday Times,
TimesLIVE,
Business Day,
BusinessLIVE,
The Herald NMB,
Daily Dispatch (South Africa),
The Herald Port Elizabeth,
Kempton Express,
Bedfordview & Edenvale News
and
Covers:
Immigration, Local Government
Journalist @Sowetanlive | Daughter | Sister | Faith
Interview
What was your first job as a journalist?
I had to do a press release on the mayor's 100 days in the office which also led to my first idea of a story.
Have you ever used a typewriter?
No, but I've always wanted to.
How is social media changing news?
There's more freedom for everyone but at the same time, it makes it a lot harder to identify the real news from the fake one.
Who's your favorite fictional journalist?
Cat Grant from Supergirl, a DC show that showcased its first episode in 2015
What does it mean to be a journalist?
Many different answers but for me, being a journalist means listening when no one won't. Being there and actually giving two shits.
What's the funniest news-related #hashtag you've seen?
I don't have a specific one honestly and also I can barely remember one that stuck with me.
How do you prefer to be pitched on stories?
With a lot of detail. I need detail or else I will struggle to write the story or have an idea on how to approach it.
What tools and software do you use to do your job?
I use Microsoft Office, voice recorders, Notepad(both physical and online), a camera and the internet. I also use sources.
What's your favorite social network?
Youtube.
Who do you wish followed you?
I don't know but I know I wished I followed Adrian Basson. He's my role model when it comes to journalism.
Why did you become a journalist?
Because my mother wouldn't let me join the army and I had great writing skills. Journalism was everything but muddy, so its fit the bill.
Did you work for your high school newspaper? If so, what did you do there?
No, I didn't work for it.
What story are you most proud of writing or working on?
It would have to be the one where a woman was locked away for 6 months by her partner. 'Love gone wrong' readers call it.
What advice can you offer to aspiring journalists?
I'm still aspiring myself and honestly, I tell myself to take it a day at a time and be open to everything and anything because you never know.
When's the best time to pitch you?
Anytime, I am not eating or sleeping, especially when I am not eating. Do not interrupt my eating.
What's the best pitch you ever got?
Still waiting on it.
What's the worst pitch you ever got?
I am yet to receive one.
What's your favorite drink?
Orange Juice.
When you're not at a computer, where are you most likely to be?
On my phone or outside on my phone.
Aside from your own, what's your favorite publication to read?
Times Live
What's the most common misperception about your beat?
That it's too blunt.
Would you like to take the Muck Rack Interview?
Create a Muck Rack profile.