What was your first job as a journalist?
I wrote about politics for Folha de S.Paulo.
Have you ever used a typewriter?
Ah, yes. That's all we had in my j-school for the first two years.
How is social media changing news?
Readers don't use the front door to get to you anymore. They use windows and chimneys. That's where you use the skills to keep them neat.
Who's your favorite fictional journalist?
Some days, Mikael Blomqvist. Some days, Ben Urich.
What does it mean to be a journalist?
Assembling information puzzles in the public interest.
What's the funniest news-related #hashtag you've seen?
How do you prefer to be pitched on stories?
By email, please.
What tools and software do you use to do your job?
My utility belt is more diversified than Batman's.
What's your favorite social network?
Facebook. In Brazil, it's a cannon.
Who do you wish followed you?
Got some of them on my follow list already.
Why did you become a journalist?
To assemble information puzzles in the public interest, hold accountable the powers that be and help society understand itself better
What story are you most proud of writing or working on?
All the ones I did with the ICIJ. And the one about my mother's fight against cancer.
What advice can you offer to aspiring journalists?
Believe one third what you hear about the future of journalism. The other two thirds are up to you to make up.
When's the best time to pitch you?
My email is open 24/7, even if I'm not reading it.
What's the worst pitch you ever got?
Someone who didn't really understand what I do. They wanted image polish, not puzzle assembling. Not interested.
What's your favorite drink?
Iced tea during the day. Wine at night.
When you're not at a computer, where are you most likely to be?
Reading something, taking a walk, listening to music.
Aside from your own, what's your favorite publication to read?
The Economist. (And comics, but now I mostly read old stuff.)
What's the most common misperception about your beat?
"Take a number out of your hat, I know you can do it"
