Matthew De George
Verified- Assistant Sports Editor, Writer and Reporter, The Delaware County Daily Times
- Americas Correspondent, Swimming World Magazine
Philadelphia
As seen in:
Swimming World Magazine,
The Delaware County Daily Times,
The Athletic,
Associated Press,
Flipboard,
Orlando Sentinel,
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette,
The Charlotte Observer,
The Morning Call,
NewsBreak,
Reading Eagle,
Soccer America
and
Covers:
Sports (general), soccer, Olympics sports, swimming, sports and culture, sports business, college sports, high school sports
Olympic journalist, @SwimmingWorld | Assistant Sports Editor/Union beatwriter, @delcosports | Swim Author x2 | Always looking for the next story (DMs open)
Interview
What was your first job as a journalist?
Sports reporter for The Hawk, the student newspaper at Saint Joseph's University.
Have you ever used a typewriter?
Not professionally. But I can recall playing around with the typewriter my father used when he was in college when I was a young kid.
How is social media changing news?
It adds more immediacy, which presents both opportunity and challenges. It's as much finding the niche as trying to do it all
Who's your favorite fictional journalist?
For some reason, the moralistic bent of Britt Reid in the 60s Green Hornet resonated with me.
What does it mean to be a journalist?
It's a constant quest to find answers and truths, to find and tell stories that others can relate to, that stop and make them think.
What's the funniest news-related #hashtag you've seen?
#TrumpBookReport was pretty good.
How do you prefer to be pitched on stories?
I need to know the novelty of a story for me to tackle it. I should know that the idea includes a unique way I can find to approach it
What tools and software do you use to do your job?
Adobe suite, Microsoft Office/Google Docs, WordPress, various CMS, social media, Audacity
What's your favorite social network?
Twitter
Who do you wish followed you?
On twitter, @POTUS or whatever President Obama's new handle will become.
Why did you become a journalist?
I felt a passion for finding and telling people's stories, and I felt I had a knack for getting to the heart of complex issues.
Did you work for your high school newspaper? If so, what did you do there?
Our school didn't have a newspaper, so my first scholastic journalism came in college.
What story are you most proud of writing or working on?
Besides my books, writing in 2014 about the Ukrainian Nationals soccer team that felt forgotten by history. Reliving its success was special
What advice can you offer to aspiring journalists?
Be diverse in your skillset, and be ready to strive in a profession that's not always easy but often rewarding.
When's the best time to pitch you?
Anytime.
What's the best pitch you ever got?
Nothing springs to mind, but it would have to be something that includes an understanding of what I do in my current job.
What's the worst pitch you ever got?
I dislike the generic "this list of famous people are ready for interviews" pitches.
What's your favorite drink?
Big fan of exploring craft beers
When you're not at a computer, where are you most likely to be?
Reading, watching sports or hanging out with my wife and family.
Aside from your own, what's your favorite publication to read?
I like the Atlantic and Atlas Obscura for clever news/features, plus SI for sports.
What's the most common misperception about your beat?
That the final score is what matters most. My best stories are about people and the challenges they face off the field of play.
Would you like to take the Muck Rack Interview?
Create a Muck Rack profile.