Mel Hopkins
(She/Her)
Georgia
Covers:
Storyteller at the intersection of tech, culture, and ancestral wisdom. #DigitalCreatives #TechCulture #NarrativeIntelligence #SankofaSystems #AncestralTech #IPEconomy #WomenInTech
Doesn't Cover:
gossip, scandal, crime,
Interview
What was your first job as a journalist?
My first journalism gig was as a general assignment news reporter for a small-market CBS network affiliate news station.
Have you ever used a typewriter?
If I used a typewriter, it was just to tinker around,
How is social media changing news?
Social media isn't changing news; it has returned the News gathering and reporting to the individual.
Who's your favorite fictional journalist?
Brenda Starr
What does it mean to be a journalist?
Preservationist, conservationist, and keeper of history.
What's the funniest news-related #hashtag you've seen?
#Negrosolstice, which occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic on December 21, 2020. Like the TV show "Heroes," Black powers would manifest.
How do you prefer to be pitched on stories?
I rarely take pitches, but I'm always willing to brainstorm with others about story ideas.
What tools and software do you use to do your job?
Microsoft Word, Search engines, and LLMs like ChatGPT to partner with me in editorial meetings.
What's your favorite social network?
Myspace will always be my favorite social network.
Who do you wish followed you?
At the top of my followers' wishlist would be the world's most interesting woman, which I would immediately profile.
Why did you become a journalist?
A news director thought I would be a good fit for the television station. So I accepted the offer and then had to learn on the job.
Did you work for your high school newspaper? If so, what did you do there?
I was involved in theatre in high school. I didn't become a journalist until I played a "news reporter" in Biz Markie's "The Vapors" video.
What story are you most proud of writing or working on?
I'm proud of my independently published novel, "Sleeping with a D-Man: Urban Fantasy, that I wrote for my daughter.
What advice can you offer to aspiring journalists?
I would advise an aspiring journalist to minor in data science. Data Storytelling is the next wave.
When's the best time to pitch you?
I rarely take pitches. If I did it would occur organically in a conversation.
What's the best pitch you ever got?
The best pitch I ever landed was to interview HBO's Insecure show producer and star, Issa Rae, for EBONY's cover story.
What's the worst pitch you ever got?
The worst pitch I've received was for a CBS talent. It wasn't their fault; I couldn't think of an interesting angle for their TV star.
What's your favorite drink?
"The Melini" A splash of cranberry juice and Seltzer over crushed ice.
When you're not at a computer, where are you most likely to be?
In between the pages of an interesting book.
Aside from your own, what's your favorite publication to read?
Wired. The magazine has some of the best storytellers.
What's the most common misperception about your beat?
The most common misperception about Digital Technology is that it is a tool, when in fact it is the heart of the IP economy.
Would you like to take the Muck Rack Interview?
Create a Muck Rack profile.