What was your first job as a journalist?
Wrote a few articles for my middle school newspaper, which was literally just standard 8.5 x 11 printer paper stapled together.
What does it mean to be a journalist?
Late nights, lots of coffee, digging through mounds of research and spreadsheets, chasing down interviews, knowing it's all worth it.
What tools and software do you use to do your job?
Document Cloud, Google Alerts, Google Analytics, FOIAs, etc.
What's your favorite social network?
I'm addicted to Twitter. It's constraint-based writing at its best (and worst).
Who do you wish followed you?
I would die happy if Hadas Gold, Jia Tolentino, or Helen Rosner followed me.
Why did you become a journalist?
Because I believe in the power of words, and I want to make a positive impact on the world.
What story are you most proud of writing or working on?
"Power Goes Out. Rent Goes Up." (See portfolio.) Helped a family get out of substandard housing, landlord slapped w/ thousands in fines.
What advice can you offer to aspiring journalists?
Admire a writer's work? Reach out. Pick their brains. Also write, write, write.
When's the best time to pitch you?
Morning is best, otherwise my inbox is a torrent of emails.
What's the worst pitch you ever got?
A press release for a $10,000 pizzakini. A bikini. Made entirely of pizza. Totally bizarre and unfit for any of my beats.
When you're not at a computer, where are you most likely to be?
Reading on my couch, walking my dog, hiking, or maybe even traveling. (Recent sojourns: Mexico; Iceland; Northern Spain)
Aside from your own, what's your favorite publication to read?
Depends on the subject matter, but I love the Washington Post and the Guardian US's politics and features writing.
