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Mark Kakkuri on Muck Rack

Mark Kakkuri

Michigan
Covers:  Outdoor gear and apparel, personal defense, business and technology

Interview

What was your first job as a journalist?

Freelancer for a real, established journalist who wrote for Food Product Design Magazine

Have you ever used a typewriter?

Yes! Trained on an IBM Selectric.

How is social media changing news?

Seems news is less researched and confirmed because it can be so instant.

Who's your favorite fictional journalist?

Perd Hapley, Parks and Rec

What does it mean to be a journalist?

To write about life with awareness of the many worldviews out there while kindly sharing yours.

How do you prefer to be pitched on stories?

This is answered in another place on my page here (email, short, follows up okay, etc.).

What tools and software do you use to do your job?

Apple iPad, Google Suite, Nikon D40, Franklin Planner

What's your favorite social network?

LinkedIn

Who do you wish followed you?

Patrick McManus, if he were still alive. But it would be okay if he didn’t. Other than that, family and friends are more than enough.

Why did you become a journalist?

Because teachers and others said I had some gifting for it. And I enjoy it.

Did you work for your high school newspaper? If so, what did you do there?

Nope

What story are you most proud of writing or working on?

It’s difficult to pick one. But any article that empowers and educates a reader in some way is great!

What advice can you offer to aspiring journalists?

Read good writing. Study Joseph Williams’ _Style: 10 Lessons in Clarity and Grace_. Find a seasoned writer to talk to and learn from.

When's the best time to pitch you?

Mornings

What's the best pitch you ever got?

I don’t get many pitches but it’s great to collaborate with a PR pro to earn some coverage.

What's your favorite drink?

Chocolate milk

When you're not at a computer, where are you most likely to be?

Reading a book or at my ‘real’ job.

Aside from your own, what's your favorite publication to read?

monergism.com

What's the most common misperception about your beat?

My areas of interest are fairly broad, each with their own stereotypes. All I can say is I’m a clear writer, kind, and humorous when needed

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