Kristine Schachinger
Covers:
Privacy, Search Engine Optimization, Google+, SEO, SEM, Twitter, Technology, Infosec, Hacking, Negative SEO, Google, Facebook, Internet, Search Engines, Machine Learning, Google Algorithms
Doesn't Cover:
network systems, hardware
Digital Strategist & SEO Consultant, Speaker & Writer ABD on a PhD. Reports fake accounts/bots. bsky.app/profile/schachin.bsky.social
Interview
What was your first job as a journalist?
College paper.
Have you ever used a typewriter?
Yes. old enough to know what one is, that I am glad for the ease of a computer, yet wistful for the visual beauty of the typewritten word.
How is social media changing news?
I am not sure how much it is changing news, but it is changing the world and that changes what the news covers.
Who's your favorite fictional journalist?
Will McAvoy
What does it mean to be a journalist?
Means you are able to add your "voice" to the conversation - even when that voice is neutral it has perspective.
What's the funniest news-related #hashtag you've seen?
Oh gosh there is probably a new funniest one every other week... :)
How do you prefer to be pitched on stories?
Email, but phone is okay if that is best for whoever is pitching.
What tools and software do you use to do your job?
Any piece of social you can think of is a must, 5 different browsers, 3 platforms, Developer Toolbar, SnagIt, Wordpress, Adobe CS6 etc etc
What's your favorite social network?
Twitter though the current owners are destroying its power. It has moved nations and let me complain to my cellphone company. Pretty powerful
Who do you wish followed you?
Because they are witty and fun. Anderson Cooper, Ricky Gervais, Robin Williams and Rachael Maddow (this list could change any moment ;))
Why did you become a journalist?
It is a natural extension of my life as a subject matter expert & speaker, but I've always wanted to be one since the day I took my 1st photo
Did you work for your high school newspaper? If so, what did you do there?
Yes Photojournalist.
What story are you most proud of writing or working on?
Google and the NSTIC program for trusted identities in cyberspace. Until then everyone in our industry thought Google+ was a social network.
What advice can you offer to aspiring journalists?
Learn how to reason, how to research, know what links to the next, and how to follow the leads through the connections.
When's the best time to pitch you?
My schedule is very varied, so any time except between 8am-10am PST.
What's your favorite drink?
I am a water/tea/coffee drinker mostly, but a good glass of fresh OJ tops the list. Alcoholic drink? Spicy bloody mary with some Titos.
When you're not at a computer, where are you most likely to be?
With friends at the movies, a show, out dancing, getting a bite and a cocktail, or just hanging out playing board games somewhere.
Aside from your own, what's your favorite publication to read?
For news hard to pick one, mostly the New York Times, The Washington Post, The Atlantic, or Vox.
What's the most common misperception about your beat?
Most of what happens in our world happens out of sight of people outside of it, so there is always an educational component of any article.
Would you like to take the Muck Rack Interview?
Create a Muck Rack profile.