What was your first job as a journalist?
reporter & writer at WBUR-FM. My news director took a leap of faith and let an eager journalism student cover some very high profile stories.
Have you ever used a typewriter?
of course. back in the day, if you didn't have ribbon ink smudges on your copy, and white-out under your fingernails, you were a lightweight.
How is social media changing news?
How is it not? Remember when facts were checked 1st? Now mere rumor is viral in minutes. OTOH, oppressed voices can now be heard
Who's your favorite fictional journalist?
It's a toss up between Lois Lane and Murphy Brown.
What does it mean to be a journalist?
To tell the story as truthfully and objectively as possible. Dig around for the buried facts and find real answers; bring all sides to light.
What's the funniest news-related #hashtag you've seen?
thought was pretty quirky - not super-thin runway chicks -- it actually relates to weather forecasting
How do you prefer to be pitched on stories?
email. email. email.
What tools and software do you use to do your job?
MacBook Air, iPad + TASAC portable digital recorder, Creative VADO HD mini videocam. Audio Notes (iOS), Audacity, Write2.
What's your favorite social network?
Twitter. I use it for leads, to keep up with research & studies, breaking news, and ideas.
Who do you wish followed you?
Jon Stewart.
Why did you become a journalist?
I have this innate need to know what & why, and explain it. Writing is my passion, & journalism brings it all together
Did you work for your high school newspaper? If so, what did you do there?
Yes. I started as a news reporter, then news editor, and finally editor-in-chief of The Spectator, at Stuyvesant HS in NYC
What story are you most proud of writing or working on?
A radio story on LGBTQ health services that included an extensive interview with a transgender person, when this issue was very undercovered
What advice can you offer to aspiring journalists?
Listen. Interviewees may say something that takes the story in a whole different direction, or gives you an idea for a great lede.
When's the best time to pitch you?
Prefer afternoons. My inbox is too cluttered in the morning and the pitch will probably just get snoozed or deleted.
What's your favorite drink?
Depends on the circumstances. Can never go wrong with a good cup of coffee though
When you're not at a computer, where are you most likely to be?
Playing with my granddaughters or curled up with a good book.
Aside from your own, what's your favorite publication to read?
The New Yorker. Exceptional writing, reporting and analysis.
What's the most common misperception about your beat?
People have a lot of misconceptions and sterotypes about older people
