Matt LaFever
Verified
As seen in:
MendoFever,
Redheaded Blackbelt,
SFGate,
MSN,
Flipboard,
Yahoo,
WCVB-TV (Boston, MA),
WESH-TV (Orlando, FL),
WBAL-TV (Baltimore, MD),
WLWT-TV (Cincinnati, OH),
WPBF-TV (Palm Beach Gardens, FL),
WMUR-TV (Manchester, NH),
KCRA-TV (Sacramento, CA)
and
Covers:
Crime and public safety | Fires and emergency incidents | Local government | Environmental issues | Community events | Human interest
North Coast Contributing Editor @SFGATE | Publisher @MendoFever | Freelance @KymKemp & @KMUDNews| Digging deep in NorCal’s wildlands—where stories take root.
Interview
What was your first job as a journalist?
Freelancing with Kym Kemp's Redheaded Blackbelt
Have you ever used a typewriter?
Yes
How is social media changing news?
It is bolstering the importance of hyper-local coverage.
Who's your favorite fictional journalist?
Gus Haynes from HBO's The Wire
What does it mean to be a journalist?
To tell the stories of others with precision and compassion.
What's the funniest news-related #hashtag you've seen?
NA
How do you prefer to be pitched on stories?
NA
What tools and software do you use to do your job?
Google Docs, Garage Band, Microphone, The Ol' Noggin
What's your favorite social network?
Facebook
Who do you wish followed you?
Jon Krakauer, Sebastian Junger, Mary Roach, Tim Cahill
Why did you become a journalist?
To chronicle my community.
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?
My coverage of missing man Lewis Compton. My coverage led to the discovery of his body and allowed closure for the family.
What advice can you offer to aspiring journalists?
A Gary Snyder quote: "“Find your place on the planet. Dig in, and take responsibility from there.” It's all about a niche.
When's the best time to pitch you?
Anytime.
What's the best pitch you ever got?
NA
What's the worst pitch you ever got?
NA
What's your favorite drink?
Coffee, Black.
When you're not at a computer, where are you most likely to be?
Working on my car, Teaching high school English and Journalism, Outdoors
Aside from your own, what's your favorite publication to read?
LongReads.com, Outside Magazine
What's the most common misperception about your beat?
The biggest misperception about covering missing and murdered people is that it exploits the sorrow of their families.
Would you like to take the Muck Rack Interview?
Create a Muck Rack profile.