Leila Hawkins
(She/Her)
As seen in:
NADJA.co,
The Guardian,
Metro (UK),
Broadly,
Substack,
VICE,
VICE UK,
Refinery29,
Glamour (UK),
Scroll.in,
3BL Media
and
Covers:
Human rights, feminism, politics, culture, healthcare, technology.
Interview
What was your first job as a journalist?
Reviewing restaurants!
Have you ever used a typewriter?
I adored using a typewriter when I was a child.
How is social media changing news?
It's a lot harder to cut through the noise with written content as platforms favour short form video.
Who's your favorite fictional journalist?
Errr, Rosalind Russell's character in His Girl Friday?
What does it mean to be a journalist?
"It is not enough for journalists to see themselves as mere messengers without understanding the hidden agendas of the message."
How do you prefer to be pitched on stories?
Email.
What tools and software do you use to do your job?
Canva and more recently, ChatGPT.
What's your favorite social network?
LinkedIn
Who do you wish followed you?
I'm happiest behind the scenes.
Why did you become a journalist?
To report stories I wasn't seeing covered by most media outlets.
Did you work for your high school newspaper? If so, what did you do there?
Does doing a paper round count?
What story are you most proud of writing or working on?
A series of features about the treatment of people seeking asylum in the UK. And creating NADJA Media.
What advice can you offer to aspiring journalists?
Write about what you're passionate about.
When's the best time to pitch you?
Early morning.
What's the best pitch you ever got?
When I was asked to interview my hero, Selma James.
What's the worst pitch you ever got?
There have been plenty about food and drink "concepts"
What's your favorite drink?
Martini, very dry.
When you're not at a computer, where are you most likely to be?
In the kitchen, or out dancing.
Aside from your own, what's your favorite publication to read?
Unbias the News, The Intercept, Zan Times, Consortium News, Grist, Byline Times, there are many...
What's the most common misperception about your beat?
That you can't trust journalists.
Would you like to take the Muck Rack Interview?
Create a Muck Rack profile.