Luke Huizenga
(He/Him)
As seen in:
Unicorn Riot,
Rantt Media
Covers:
I cover political news and current events.
Interview
What was your first job as a journalist?
Unpaid–writing for my college newspaper. Paid–writing for Rantt Media.
Have you ever used a typewriter?
No.
How is social media changing news?
It gives us access to information faster, which is excellent. However, it also helps to spread disinformation as well.
Who's your favorite fictional journalist?
J. Jonah Jameson, editor-in-chief of The Daily Bugle. He's a terrible journalist, but his charisma is off the charts.
What does it mean to be a journalist?
To be a journalist–an excellent journalist–is to work for the people, to strive to inform them and always provide the truth.
What's the funniest news-related #hashtag you've seen?
Well, the release of the iPhone 6 Plus gave us #BendGate...
How do you prefer to be pitched on stories?
By email.
What tools and software do you use to do your job?
Voice Memos for interviews. Hydra for pics/vids. Firefox for research. Pages for writing. Google Docs for sharing/editing.
What's your favorite social network?
Twitter. It can be dreadful at times, but as a journalist it's invaluable.
Who do you wish followed you?
Professional journalists. Specifically, A.C. Thompson (ProPublica) and Molly Jong-Fast (The Daily Beast).
Why did you become a journalist?
I want to make a difference. I love to investigate and feed my curiosity, and I want to do it by exposing lies and revealing truths.
Did you work for your high school newspaper? If so, what did you do there?
No, my high school didn't have a newspaper.
What story are you most proud of writing or working on?
I am most proud of my story covering far-right activity on alt-tech social media platforms. I spent nearly a month investigating and published two articles.
What advice can you offer to aspiring journalists?
Always find ways to make connections. It's a competitive business.
When's the best time to pitch you?
Any reasonable hour EST.
What's the worst pitch you ever got?
I got a pitch that involved a lengthy interview with a student whom I heartily disliked. Not fun to say the least.
What's your favorite drink?
Water.
When you're not at a computer, where are you most likely to be?
At a piano, singing and playing to my heart's content.
Aside from your own, what's your favorite publication to read?
ProPublica. I love reading investigative journalism and ProPublica is one of the best outlets in that business.
What's the most common misperception about your beat?
"Political journalism shouldn't be taken seriously because it's always biased and always untrustworthy."
Would you like to take the Muck Rack Interview?
Create a Muck Rack profile.