What was your first job as a journalist?
Non-internship? I was a research manager and reporter at Inc. magazine, Inc.com and the Inc. 500.
Have you ever used a typewriter?
Yes. My parents' typewriter!
How is social media changing news?
It's allowing professional reporters to include and work with citizen journalists and sources in myriad new ways and more...
Who's your favorite fictional journalist?
Lois Lane of course.
What does it mean to be a journalist?
This term has been bastardized, candidly. So now I prefer to just describe what I do in the newsroom - investigative reporting, writing.
What's the funniest news-related #hashtag you've seen?
How do you prefer to be pitched on stories?
Succinctly and honestly. (Also, prefer a quick and specific email to any pitches on public networks like Twitter.)
What tools and software do you use to do your job?
Skype. Wordpress. Call Recorder. iPhone 4s. Macbook Air. Verizon and Clear Communications plans. Google apps. Dropbox. Factiva.
Why did you become a journalist?
To keep good information in the public view, debunk myths, give voice to minorities and help people improve their lives & work.
Did you work for your high school newspaper? If so, what did you do there?
Yes. Was co-editor. Wrote about arts and student life, mostly.
What advice can you offer to aspiring journalists?
Don't do it unless you can't help yourself. If you don't like the public being lied to or kept in the dark - welcome!
When's the best time to pitch you?
Best time? Haha. Any time - as long as it's newsworthy, important, and you haven't pitched it anywhere else.
What's the worst pitch you ever got?
I don't want to humiliate the folks who sent it so I won't...
What's your favorite drink?
Coffee.
When you're not at a computer, where are you most likely to be?
Meeting with sources at their preferred locations, or out for a scenic walk.
Aside from your own, what's your favorite publication to read?
It's not about one publication- it's about the writers and individual stories. That said, big fan of Drilled for climate news & POVs.
