Maddison Stoff
(She/Her)
As seen in:
Medium,
Nonsense Newsletter,
Patreon,
Substack,
The Kotaku Times,
New Matilda,
Overland,
Strange Horizons Magazine,
Archer Magazine,
Ebroky
Covers:
Disability, anti-work philosophy, anarcho-communism, feminism, domestic violence, gender studies, sociology, metaphysics, epistemology, and popular culture.
Doesn't Cover:
Anything that goes against my principles, philosophy, or personal experience. I usually discover topics on my own, writing in reaction to their absence in the mainstream discourse.
Nb, nd, polyam space dyke & fucker of the basilisk. ;) In Naarm, but originally from regional Australia. Likes reptiles, cooking, philosophy and computer games.
Interview
What was your first job as a journalist?
Doing morning news and interviews at 4ZZZ community radio in Brisbane.
Have you ever used a typewriter?
My parents used to have one when I was a kid. I really liked the physicality of it, but computers are my thing.
How is social media changing news?
It's allowing more voices (like myself,) in who wouldn't usually get a chance to speak. It's mostly good, aside from the obvious problems...
Who's your favorite fictional journalist?
Spider Jerusalem
What does it mean to be a journalist?
Less and more these days? It's a vital role that's been destroyed by capitalism. It's necessary for speaking truth to power too.
What's the funniest news-related #hashtag you've seen?
I don't really pay attention to that sort of thing.
How do you prefer to be pitched on stories?
As long as you're familiar with my work and offering me something relevant and paying, I would love to hear from you!
What tools and software do you use to do your job?
Mostly just Microsoft Word and the internet for my writing. Same tools I've been using since the early 2000s lol.
What's your favorite social network?
Twitter.
Who do you wish followed you?
More people who appreciate and understand my work. That's all I ever want, really!
Why did you become a journalist?
I decided I was sick of ranting on Facebook for free, and did a pitch so somebody would pay me for it!
Did you work for your high school newspaper? If so, what did you do there?
No.
What story are you most proud of writing or working on?
I'm equally proud of all of my stories! I'm not motivated by money, and I don't work on anything I'm not passionate about either.
What advice can you offer to aspiring journalists?
Write what you want. Don't worry about the industry. If you're good at what you do and innovative, everything else will follow.
When's the best time to pitch you?
Anytime is fine, but I'm more likely to be active during daylight hours on weekdays.
What's the best pitch you ever got?
Since I'm mostly self-directed, I get so few pitches that I love them all!
What's the worst pitch you ever got?
I had someone message me about ghost writing once. No.
What's your favorite drink?
Coffee.
When you're not at a computer, where are you most likely to be?
Seeing live music, visiting art galleries, or trying something new at a café or a restaurant. I'm desperately in love with new experiences!
Aside from your own, what's your favorite publication to read?
I like philosophy, psychology, and weird stuff that exists between the margins of science and sociology. Also sci-fi, of course!
What's the most common misperception about your beat?
We need to be a lot more radical in what we're asking for, and a lot less willing to compromise with anybody who argues for less!
Would you like to take the Muck Rack Interview?
Create a Muck Rack profile.