Martyn Pepperell
Verified
(He/Him)
As seen in:
Bandcamp Daily,
Red Bull,
Variety Australia,
Gnet Radio,
VICE,
Flipboard,
Dazed Magazine,
Resident Advisor (RA),
Mixmag,
The Vinyl Factory
and
Covers:
Music, arts and culture.
Doesn't Cover:
Everything else.
Music, arts & culture journalist, copywriter, photographer, broadcaster & DJ.
Interview
What was your first job as a journalist?
Freelancer.
Have you ever used a typewriter?
Yes, but not for over thirty years.
How is social media changing news?
Speeding things up. It's very disruptive.
Who's your favorite fictional journalist?
N/A
What does it mean to be a journalist?
To learn about the world and help explain it.
What's the funniest news-related #hashtag you've seen?
N/A
How do you prefer to be pitched on stories?
I don't. Please don't pitch me.
What tools and software do you use to do your job?
Google Docs, Otter.AI, Zoom, Digital Dictaphone.
What's your favorite social network?
Instagram.
Who do you wish followed you?
No one. Reality is better than wishes.
Why did you become a journalist?
I worked as a DJ, event promoter and radio broadcaster until I was 25 when I decided to take a shot at journalism. It's worked out well.
Did you work for your high school newspaper? If so, what did you do there?
Yes, I was a high school journalism student.
What story are you most proud of writing or working on?
The Susumu Yokota feature I wrote with Ken Hidaka for Wax Poetics.
What advice can you offer to aspiring journalists?
Edit, edit, edit and edit again.
When's the best time to pitch you?
Never.
What's the best pitch you ever got?
None.
What's the worst pitch you ever got?
All of them.
What's your favorite drink?
Coffee.
When you're not at a computer, where are you most likely to be?
The beach, a cafe, or a music venue.
Aside from your own, what's your favorite publication to read?
Bidoun Magazine.
What's the most common misperception about your beat?
That I'm interested in music video or single premieres. I'm really not. Please don't ask me about them.
Would you like to take the Muck Rack Interview?
Create a Muck Rack profile.