What was your first job as a journalist?
Writing for VozWire.
Have you ever used a typewriter?
Yes, I have. It's not particularly efficient or useful, but it is fun to use.
How is social media changing news?
Headlines are all that 98% of people read. I even ran an experiment to confirm that. Headlines are basically the end-all-be-all of news now.
Who's your favorite fictional journalist?
Peter Parker. Or, Clark Kent for written stories.
What does it mean to be a journalist?
Being a journalist means having the power of influence and wielding the responsibility of maintaining impartial integrity.
What's the funniest news-related #hashtag you've seen?
When Pokemon Masters rebranded. .
How do you prefer to be pitched on stories?
Written messages are preferable to anything else.
What tools and software do you use to do your job?
Grammarly, Photoshop, Wordpress, Pixabay, Luck, Rockstar Energy Drinks, and metal music.
What's your favorite social network?
Whichever one has the least vitriol.
Who do you wish followed you?
Not that I would ever expect it to happen, or if it does, but it would be really, really cool to have Felix Kjellberg following my work.
Why did you become a journalist?
I've always had a lot to say about the things that I read. Everyone around me told me I had a talent for writing, so I pursued it.
Did you work for your high school newspaper? If so, what did you do there?
I did not.
What story are you most proud of writing or working on?
The pieces on the national popular vote interstate compact. It's a complex subject that helped me better understand the electoral college.
What advice can you offer to aspiring journalists?
There are a lot of journalists that want to push an agenda. Your job is to inform, not shape opinion. Freedom is dependant on your integrity
When's the best time to pitch you?
Anytime!
What's the best pitch you ever got?
Can't say that I've had the pleasure of a good or bad pitch.
What's the worst pitch you ever got?
Once again, I'm sorry to say that I've not had the pleasure of getting pitches.
What's your favorite drink?
Water as a matter of course, Rockstar Energy for caffeine, and Breckenridge's Strawberry Sky on the alcohol side.
When you're not at a computer, where are you most likely to be?
Playing video games, running, or doing various errands.
Aside from your own, what's your favorite publication to read?
National Geographic.
What's the most common misperception about your beat?
That it's easy or doesn't involve a lot of work.
