How is social media changing news?
It often preempts a more informed and researched take on events. It's good to get news fast but it's better to get it right.
Who's your favorite fictional journalist?
Randy Stone, a reporter who covered the night beat for the Chicago Star on the old-time radio show, Nightbeat.
What does it mean to be a journalist?
Educating and/or entertaining whoever takes the time to read what you've written.
How do you prefer to be pitched on stories?
Email is probably best.
What tools and software do you use to do your job?
Cell phone(s), MS Office, Google Keep, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter (sporadically), Adobe, and all the web browsers.....
What's your favorite social network?
Instagram. That said if only for the purely social aspect, Facebook comes in handy.
Why did you become a journalist?
I like to think that I have interesting things to say and the best way to share them beyond my immediate circle is to write about them.
Did you work for your high school newspaper? If so, what did you do there?
I did not. I worked on our yearbook and I sold ads.
What story are you most proud of writing or working on?
I don't think I've written my best story yet, to be honest. At this point, my cocktail book, Drink has that honor.
What advice can you offer to aspiring journalists?
Write as much as you can and take every opportunity to get your writing seen.
When's the best time to pitch you?
I check my email on a regular basis but early to mid-afternoon is probably best.
What's your favorite drink?
Whiskies have been my favorite so let's stick with what works. That said, after working on my book, Drink, daiquiris get love as well.
When you're not at a computer, where are you most likely to be?
Reading something, walking around the city, hanging with a friend, exploring a new bar....
Aside from your own, what's your favorite publication to read?
The Atlantic, ScotchWhisky.com (RIP), Vox, Esquire, Vanity Fair, The New York Times, The Washington Post, MOJO, and many others....
What's the most common misperception about your beat?
That it's about free drinks and/or getting drunk. You need to love spirits to write about them but you also need discipline to be any good.
