What was your first job as a journalist?
The obituaries in a small town.
Have you ever used a typewriter?
Yes. It was a keyboard with consequences.
How is social media changing news?
Social media improved news by replacing editors with mobs, facts with vibes, and corrections with people shouting “do your research”
Who's your favorite fictional journalist?
Bridget Jones
What does it mean to be a journalist?
Free speech. Well, for now.
What's the funniest news-related #hashtag you've seen?
How do you prefer to be pitched on stories?
Pass
What tools and software do you use to do your job?
Pass
What's your favorite social network?
None.
Who do you wish followed you?
a retired Highland librarian with frightening recall, a ferry engineer, a council finance officer with a conscience, three crofters, one planning lawyer, and a grandmother from Wick who knows exactly what happened in 1978 and still has the paperwork.
That, frankly, would beat any celebrity following.
Why did you become a journalist?
Peer pressure. I was aiming for ballerina or rock star, but journalism had worse hours and therefore seemed more respectable.
Did you work for your high school newspaper? If so, what did you do there?
Yes. I worked on the high school newspaper and spent most of my time in the darkroom. Which sounds far more glamorous than it was.
What story are you most proud of writing or working on?
Pass
What advice can you offer to aspiring journalists?
In your first draft, just tell it like it is. In your final draft, polish it so it is clear, accurate, non-offensive and doesn't waste words.
When's the best time to pitch you?
Pass
What's the best pitch you ever got?
Pass.
What's the worst pitch you ever got?
Pass
What's your favorite drink?
Catherine of Sheridan Square
When you're not at a computer, where are you most likely to be?
In the garden.
Aside from your own, what's your favorite publication to read?
Pass
What's the most common misperception about your beat?
The most common misperception is that it is small local news. It is not. Scottish energy and infrastructure impact all of the UK.
