Lucas Hendrickson
As seen in:
Nashville Ledger,
Hamilton County Herald
Covers:
As writer: entertainment, sports, technology, hospitality, education.
As editor: legal, real estate, government, general business topics.
Interview
What was your first job as a journalist?
While attempting grad school, spent the weekends designing pages and writing obits for the local daily, which covered 33 counties.
Have you ever used a typewriter?
Yes, and if I could find a reasonably priced working circa-mid-'80s IBM Selectric, I'd consider using one again.
How is social media changing news?
Poorly. Too much expectation to be first, too little waiting for facts or context, and few repercussions when they're wrong.
Who's your favorite fictional journalist?
Clark Kent.
What does it mean to be a journalist?
To pursue truth, even when so many others wish to redefine truth. Serve the reader/audience, even when they don't like what you have to say.
How do you prefer to be pitched on stories?
With as little hype as possible. I know PR pros think everything their clients do is world-changing, but give me real-world context.
What tools and software do you use to do your job?
Google Docs, Dropbox, InCopy for everyday editorial work. I'm a MacOS devotee. Constantly trying new app/software. And throwing it away.
What's your favorite social network?
Use Facebook and Instagram more day-to-day, but migrating more personal content to BlueSky.
Who do you wish followed you?
People who want to read and not skim.
Why did you become a journalist?
I liked trying to make unclear things clear.
Did you work for your high school newspaper? If so, what did you do there?
High school was too small to have a newspaper, but contributed (somewhat) to the yearbook. Was involved in everything else, though.
What story are you most proud of writing or working on?
One of the subjects within a profile I wrote pulled me aside at a show and said "That read like something I'd see in The New Yorker."
What advice can you offer to aspiring journalists?
Read, especially non-fiction. Learn the rules of your chosen field, then you can learn how to break them creatively.
When's the best time to pitch you?
Thursday mornings. I'm off production deadlines, and trying to think at least three weeks ahead while re-caffeinating.
What's the best pitch you ever got?
The next one.
What's the worst pitch you ever got?
Almost any involving former politicians looking to get back in the spotlight.
What's your favorite drink?
In my full-time paylancer days, I wrote and hosted a podcast for the Jack Daniel Distillery. Give me a Jack and ginger tall, and I'm good.
When you're not at a computer, where are you most likely to be?
With my kid, who's become far more adept with puns than I'm comfortable with.
Aside from your own, what's your favorite publication to read?
Esquire. The Atlantic. Before recently, NYT and WaPo. Still bemoan the glory days of Sports Illustrated.
What's the most common misperception about your beat?
That there's any such thing as a beat these days. I work for weekly publications, directing freelancers who write about a lot of things.
Would you like to take the Muck Rack Interview?
Create a Muck Rack profile.