What was your first job as a journalist?
A small, upstart weekly in Parsippany N.J.
Have you ever used a typewriter?
Yes and I hated it.
How is social media changing news?
Instant contact with readers and eyewitnesses and they have access to journalists.
Who's your favorite fictional journalist?
Joe Rossi, from Lou Grant.
What does it mean to be a journalist?
Bringing the wrong to light, changing what needs to be changed and writing the first, rough draft of history.
What's the funniest news-related #hashtag you've seen?
after Joe Girardi was fired from the Yankees.
How do you prefer to be pitched on stories?
Email is preferred
What tools and software do you use to do your job?
What ever they give me.
What's your favorite social network?
Twitter-it's like play by play baseball
Who do you wish followed you?
That is one to ponder...
Why did you become a journalist?
Calculus. IT booted me out of mechanical engineering as a major.
Did you work for your high school newspaper? If so, what did you do there?
No, I worked on my college paper, writing news articles and reviewing music.
What story are you most proud of writing or working on?
One that got clean drinking water for 400 families and another that prompted NJ Transit to stop audio surveillance of commuters.
What advice can you offer to aspiring journalists?
Always be curious, ask the wonky question, be the last to leave an event or incident.
When's the best time to pitch you?
Business hours
What's the best pitch you ever got?
I'll have to think about that one...
What's the worst pitch you ever got?
Something that is off topic and way out of the coverage area.
What's your favorite drink?
Coffee that is strong enough to stand on.
When you're not at a computer, where are you most likely to be?
In a car, on a bus, on the train or at a baseball game.
Aside from your own, what's your favorite publication to read?
NY Times, Wall Street Journal, The New Yorker
What's the most common misperception about your beat?
That it's all about one specific mode of travel, cars or transit.
