Lesley Abravanel
As seen in:
OK! Magazine,
MSN,
MSN Australia,
MSN India,
MSN UK,
Daily Mail,
Yahoo Canada,
Aol,
Tripadvisor,
Flipboard,
Miami Herald
and
Covers:
Arts, Entertainment, Food, Drink, Travel, Politics, Celebrity, Gossip
Doesn't Cover:
Sports
Queen Antifa: disco balling game show champ, yenta, hot sauce collecting, ex-Miami Herald gossip columnist turned purveyor of prolific political prose for hire
Interview
What was your first job as a journalist?
Assistant editor at an international classic music magazine
Have you ever used a typewriter?
Yes!
How is social media changing news?
It's blurring the line in a way between news and gossip, which is scary but it is a useful source if used properly!
Who's your favorite fictional journalist?
Bridget Jones
What does it mean to be a journalist?
Everything--especially in this time when free speech is under attack.
What's the funniest news-related #hashtag you've seen?
How do you prefer to be pitched on stories?
Email
What's your favorite social network?
Facebook!
Who do you wish followed you?
Madonna, Hillary Clinton, Taylor Swift and Victoria Groce from Jeopardy!
Why did you become a journalist?
I always had a passion for writing and spreading the news.
Did you work for your high school newspaper? If so, what did you do there?
Yes! I was managing editor!
What story are you most proud of writing or working on?
20+ years writing about nightlife and celebrity activity for the Miami Herald was an honor but writing politics is a duty. Proud of both.
What advice can you offer to aspiring journalists?
Oh boy...go into it only if you feel passion for it. Seek nothing but the truth. If you want fame, become an influencer.
When's the best time to pitch you?
Anytime
What's the worst pitch you ever got?
Anything that has nothing to do with what I cover.
What's your favorite drink?
Very spicy Bloody Marys
When you're not at a computer, where are you most likely to be?
Walking my shihtzu, Leo. Or trying to walk him. He likes to lay down a lot.
Aside from your own, what's your favorite publication to read?
Food & Wine, Travel & Leisure
What's the most common misperception about your beat?
Well my beat morphed from celebrity gossip to politics as politics infiltrated pop culture. Politics as pop culture is real.
Would you like to take the Muck Rack Interview?
Create a Muck Rack profile.