Sean Korsgaard
Verified
As seen in:
Substack,
Boing Boing,
Screen Rant,
WTVR-TV (Richmond, VA),
Mechanicsville Local,
Daily Press (Newport News, VA),
The Virginia Gazette,
The Free Lance-Star,
The Progress-Index,
Culpeper Star-Exponent
and
Covers:
While I do love anything tied to the military or pop culture, if there is a byline involved, I am more than willing to at least hear you out.
Award-winning freelance reporter, author, US Army veteran and constant adventurer, seeking great stories and an audience to hear them.
Interview
What was your first job as a journalist?
A contributor on a website talking about speculative fiction. I was hired as a columnist for them not long after.
Have you ever used a typewriter?
Yes! My grandfather had one I used as a boy occasionally, he left it to me when he died.
How is social media changing news?
It gave a whole new meaning to "reporting the news, as it happens."
Who's your favorite fictional journalist?
Clark Kent. Hard to argue with truth, justice and the American way.
What does it mean to be a journalist?
That you tell the stories that need to be told to the people who need to hear them most.
What's the funniest news-related #hashtag you've seen?
#OscarsSoWhite has been a gold mine lately.
How do you prefer to be pitched on stories?
Run it by me however you prefer. I've got a willing ear and a capable pen, just give me my marching orders.
What tools and software do you use to do your job?
I keep a recorder, notepad and camera handy at all times. Aside from that, my laptop and a steady supply of caffeine.
What's your favorite social network?
Facebook.
Who do you wish followed you?
I'd settle for just having more people in general follow me to be frank.
Why did you become a journalist?
I've always loved to write. I started as a blogger, and from there, became a freelance writer. Journalism was the next logical transition.
Did you work for your high school newspaper? If so, what did you do there?
I was actually more involved in theater in high school. Which explains a lot about me in hindsight.
What story are you most proud of writing or working on?
I did an interview with James O'Barr regarding a remake of The Crow a few years back. I still get work from people based on that interview.
What advice can you offer to aspiring journalists?
Keep writing, find your voice, find a beat you're passionate about, and stick with it.
When's the best time to pitch you?
24/7. It's the 21st Century. I have email. I have Facebook. I wager you do too. Send me a line anytime.
What's the best pitch you ever got?
I traveled to Poland with a Holocaust survivor, and followed her as she returned to Auschwitz. As long as I live, I will never forget that.
What's the worst pitch you ever got?
Some really odd ones from my college newspaper. My college newspaper is a whole different can of worms though.
What's your favorite drink?
Four Roses Bourbon, or Polish honey vodka.
When you're not at a computer, where are you most likely to be?
Travelling, when the time and budget allows, or at home reading a good book.
Aside from your own, what's your favorite publication to read?
The Atlantic or National Geographic
What's the most common misperception about your beat?
That I have only one beat. I'm pretty flexible, you have to be these days.
Would you like to take the Muck Rack Interview?
Create a Muck Rack profile.