What was your first job as a journalist?
Writing about skiing in the alpine areas of Australia.
Have you ever used a typewriter?
Yes.
How is social media changing news?
Every expert, every idiot and everyone in between with an opinion can express themselves badly.
Who's your favorite fictional journalist?
William Boot.
What does it mean to be a journalist?
It means to be trusted.
What's the funniest news-related #hashtag you've seen?
I can't say, I'd be skinned alive by political correctness if I did.
How do you prefer to be pitched on stories?
One paragraph, perhaps two. If it's complicated then a quick phone call.
What tools and software do you use to do your job?
Mac, FujiFilm, Marantz, iPhone, OfficeLibra, PhotoShop, Audacity and a dozen other Apps normally used for converting files.
What's your favorite social network?
I don't have a favorite as such but most people are on Facebook and Twitter, also YouPic, Instagram and LinkedIn.
Who do you wish followed you?
Decision makers and anyone with an interest, especially borderline people on issues like climate change.
Why did you become a journalist?
The truth is noble and must be heard.
Did you work for your high school newspaper? If so, what did you do there?
I was the editor of my university newspaper.
What story are you most proud of writing or working on?
US marines crossing the Diyala River into Baghdad in 2003.
What advice can you offer to aspiring journalists?
Be good and be consistent and when it gets really tough be a pro.
When's the best time to pitch you?
Before deadline. A lot of people pitch too late.
What's the best pitch you ever got?
End of the Cold War, the editors didn't believe it.
What's the worst pitch you ever got?
It's not the sort of thing I remember. If they're bad they're forgettable. Nearly always a pitch is bad because it is outdated..
What's your favorite drink?
Jack Daniels
When you're not at a computer, where are you most likely to be?
On a plane or in a bar with friends.
Aside from your own, what's your favorite publication to read?
I really don't have one.
What's the most common misperception about your beat?
That it's glamorous.
