Laigha Anderson
- Local Public Information Officer, Kansas Department of Health and Environment
As seen in:
MSN,
USA Today,
Yahoo News,
SFGate,
NewsNation,
Washington Times,
KTLA-TV (Los Angeles, CA),
Des Moines Register,
KDVR-TV (Denver, CO),
Government Technology
and
Covers:
Local Government, Weather, Budgets, Politics, Health
Doesn't Cover:
Education
Future City Manager | Former Journalist |
I'm learning how to build a better boat
#Disabled #Reducetarian #RooseveltU
Interview
What was your first job as a journalist?
My first job was working at The Hawk Eye in Burlington, Iowa. A big paper for a small town in rural south east Iowa.
Have you ever used a typewriter?
Yes. My dad bought my brother and me one to practice typing on and we loved it!
How is social media changing news?
People expect news at their fingertips. This means journalists must be ready to use their phones to quickly produce content
What does it mean to be a journalist?
Being a journalist means being willing to put yourself through horrible things to make sure people know the truth and not just the gossip
How do you prefer to be pitched on stories?
I like to be emailed, this way if I am confused about a pitch I can reply with questions.
Who do you wish followed you?
Anyone from The New York Times or Washington Post
Why did you become a journalist?
I became a journalist because I realized the people need someone who can bring the facts to them and explain why it all matters
Did you work for your high school newspaper? If so, what did you do there?
No I did not but I did produce segments for our weekly broadcast called LVTV. My segments changed but I did mostly features on school clubs
What story are you most proud of writing or working on?
The thing I am most proud of working on is DesCom. Over 10 years no one found the double taxation. I found it after a few weeks on the job.
What advice can you offer to aspiring journalists?
Remember that finding the facts and being able to tell the story of the facts are two separate but equally important parts of journalism
What's the best pitch you ever got?
To look into whether the rural residents were really the only ones paying for the county's portion of DesCom
What's the worst pitch you ever got?
The worst pitch I ever got was to write a story about how "corrupt" all other newspapers are. I was shocked!
When you're not at a computer, where are you most likely to be?
I am most likely to be out in the world doing or exploring something.
Aside from your own, what's your favorite publication to read?
I love to read the Iowa Press-Citizen and The New York Times
What's the most common misperception about your beat?
For Local Government, that you can't find interesting stories in mundane topics. For crime, that there is just one story
Would you like to take the Muck Rack Interview?
Create a Muck Rack profile.