What was your first job as a journalist?
I worked as a features writer for the Newhall Signal - today the Santa Clarita Signal. And wrote the obituaries.
What tools and software do you use to do your job?
Wordpress, Otter, Google Docs, Apple Voice Memos, numerous content management systems (CMS,) the phone, and my endless curiosity.
Who do you wish followed you?
Jon Krakauer
Why did you become a journalist?
Because I couldn't stop asking too many questions and this is a more polite and socially approved way to do it.
Did you work for your high school newspaper? If so, what did you do there?
Yes, I was a features writer and wrote the paper's first big investigative story that almost got us shut down.
What story are you most proud of writing or working on?
An investigative story for The Washington Post.
What advice can you offer to aspiring journalists?
This is a tough business these days and it's about relationships - remember that a rising tide lifts all boats.
Aside from your own, what's your favorite publication to read?
The New Yorker
What's the most common misperception about your beat?
That it's glamorous, fun, and we're always "on vacation." And that being self-employed means we work fewer hours - when we work more!
