Lloyd Alaban
Verified
As seen in:
Medium,
SFGate,
Chron,
Page Six,
Realtor.com,
Odyssey,
KTVU-TV (Oakland, CA),
Palo Alto Weekly,
Midland Reporter-Telegram,
The SpareFoot
and
Covers:
Race, news, politics, sports, entertainment, culture, technology
Advocate of the Oxford comma, although my first, second, and third editors prohibit it. Formerly: @sjspotlight @milpitasbeat @sanjoseinside @metronewspaper
Interview
What was your first job as a journalist?
Editor-in-chief of my school's broadcast news organization.
Have you ever used a typewriter?
Yes
How is social media changing news?
Social media gives the opportunity for small-time reporters to make it big, and for the average person to access news in real time.
Who's your favorite fictional journalist?
Got to keep it classy with Ron Burgundy.
What does it mean to be a journalist?
It means covering both sides of the story, finding the truth, and presenting it to the public to inform them, not to spite them.
What's the funniest news-related #hashtag you've seen?
How do you prefer to be pitched on stories?
Emailed or messaged
What tools and software do you use to do your job?
Wordpress, Adobe, Google Docs
What's your favorite social network?
Twitter
Who do you wish followed you?
I'm excited to be followed by people from all walks of life. If I had to choose however, Dr. King would be an amazing follower.
Why did you become a journalist?
I love writing, editing, learning, and making a difference. And teaching people the difference between "your" and "you're."
Did you work for your high school newspaper? If so, what did you do there?
No
What story are you most proud of writing or working on?
The story I'm most proud of working on is when I covered California Assembly Bill 1726.
What advice can you offer to aspiring journalists?
Keep pitching! And read, read, read!
When's the best time to pitch you?
Anytime
What's the best pitch you ever got?
Interviewing Kina Grannis, someone I actually know!
What's the worst pitch you ever got?
Doesn't exist because every pitch has taught me something.
What's your favorite drink?
My favorite drink is anything with Cola in it (double points if it's alcoholic).
When you're not at a computer, where are you most likely to be?
Walking my dog or playing video games
Aside from your own, what's your favorite publication to read?
Vox
What's the most common misperception about your beat?
That it's full of snowflakes catering to other snowflakes. We have to take a more critical look at all pillars of society.
Would you like to take the Muck Rack Interview?
Create a Muck Rack profile.