What was your first job as a journalist?
Covering education as a part-time reporter for the Millbrae (Calif.) Sun and Burlingame Leader while in college.
Have you ever used a typewriter?
Ye. I still have my dad's Woodstock.
How is social media changing news?
The good: Real-time updates on breaking news, sourcing. The bad: An increasingly polluted cesspool of misinformation. Be careful out there.
Who's your favorite fictional journalist?
Clark Kent. He never has to hunt for a parking space.
What does it mean to be a journalist?
Asking questions and sharing answers. Telling stories that matter. A constructive outlet for skepticism. A safe space for nosiness.
What's your favorite social network?
Conversation over coffee.
Why did you become a journalist?
I wanted to be an astrophysicist until I discovered it involved math.
Did you work for your high school newspaper? If so, what did you do there?
Yes. I was editor in chief.
What story are you most proud of writing or working on?
Reporting on environmental threats facing Puget Sound for a 20-page package in the Everett (Wash.) Herald.
What's the worst pitch you ever got?
The kind that begin "Dear name here."
When you're not at a computer, where are you most likely to be?
Hiking. The Colorado Rockies are right next door.
Aside from your own, what's your favorite publication to read?
The New Yorker.
