Melanie Warner Spencer
Verified
(She/Her)
As seen in:
Gulfshore Life (Bonita Springs, Florida),
Substack,
Gambit,
The Times-Picayune | The New Orleans Advocate,
NewsBreak,
ShermansTravel,
Mortgage Introducer,
New Orleans Bride,
New Orleans Homes & Lifestyles,
NewOrleans,
Financial Reporter
and
Covers:
Lifestyle
Doesn't Cover:
Politics
Journalist, photographer and nap enthusiast.
Interview
What was your first job as a journalist?
Austin Monthly Magazine
Have you ever used a typewriter?
Oh yes.
How is social media changing news?
It has created the rise of the citizen journalist, which is good in many ways, but the downside is it can add to misinformation.
Who's your favorite fictional journalist?
I have two: Murphy Brown and Veronica Corningstone.
What does it mean to be a journalist?
To shine a light on darkness, to keep tabs on government, inform and, sometimes, entertain.
What's the funniest news-related #hashtag you've seen?
How do you prefer to be pitched on stories?
Email.
What tools and software do you use to do your job?
MacbookPro, iPhone, WhisperTranscribe, Canon EOS and a lighting kit.
What's your favorite social network?
Instagram.
Who do you wish followed you?
Dolly Parton.
Why did you become a journalist?
To inform the public, tell compelling stories and, sometimes, to entertain.
Did you work for your high school newspaper? If so, what did you do there?
My high school didn’t have a paper.
What story are you most proud of writing or working on?
The NYE 2025 terrorist attack in New Orleans.
What advice can you offer to aspiring journalists?
Some of your colleagues have family wealth. Don’t compare yourself to them.
When's the best time to pitch you?
Any time via email.
What's the best pitch you ever got?
A pitch about a home makeover event for kids aging out of foster care, which outlined everything from angles to potential visuals.
What's the worst pitch you ever got?
Every press release that is irrelevant to my beat and coverage area.
What's your favorite drink?
Coffee
When you're not at a computer, where are you most likely to be?
Grabbing coffee, doing yoga or hiking.
Aside from your own, what's your favorite publication to read?
Garden
What's the most common misperception about your beat?
That it's fluff.
Would you like to take the Muck Rack Interview?
Create a Muck Rack profile.