What was your first job as a journalist?
I started off freelancing for my local paper, the Central Somerset Gazette.
Have you ever used a typewriter?
Of course. Old school.
How is social media changing news?
Commentators with an axe to grind, mostly. More people sharing and reacting to things they haven't actually read. Makes me very sad.
Who's your favorite fictional journalist?
Ben Ulrich or Mikael Blomkvist
What does it mean to be a journalist?
Long hours, stress and poor wages. But on the upside everyone hates you. But it's still the best job in the world.
What's the funniest news-related #hashtag you've seen?
is pretty hard to beat. And
How do you prefer to be pitched on stories?
Email. Give me time to think things over, please.
What tools and software do you use to do your job?
I'm oldschool. Shorthand and notebooks. Oh, and a smartphone, Escenic and an Ultrabook.
What's your favorite social network?
Facebook for friends and family and people I went to school with. Twitter for people I wish I knew.
Who do you wish followed you?
On Twitter? Probably Ryan Reynolds. Not the world's deepest answer, but by jove, he's gone full Deadpool.
Why did you become a journalist?
That which can be destroyed by the truth, should be - P.C. Hodgell, Seeker’s Mask.
Did you work for your high school newspaper? If so, what did you do there?
No. I don't think we actually had one where I went to school.
What story are you most proud of writing or working on?
I'm proud of everything I've ever put my name to. Why else would you write it otherwise?
What advice can you offer to aspiring journalists?
Don't believe anyone who tells you it's a dying industry. Work hard, build up your contacts and shine lights in all the mucky corners.
When's the best time to pitch you?
Bring it on!
What's the best pitch you ever got?
I covered the town of Glastonbury for years. You'd be surprised at some of the pitches I got. Mostly about Chemtrails and mind control.
What's the worst pitch you ever got?
I think probably one about checking your partners moles for Valentine's Day...
What's your favorite drink?
I'll have a Chai latte, thanks.
When you're not at a computer, where are you most likely to be?
With my nose stuck in a book.
Aside from your own, what's your favorite publication to read?
I like The Guardian and Independent, as well as The Mirror. I'm also a big fan of Rolling Stone and some of Buzzfeed's long reads.
What's the most common misperception about your beat?
That Somerset is sleepy and boring and nothing ever happens here. And that we all talk like pirates.
