Michael Simpson
Pretoria, South Africa
As seen in:
wordpress.org,
MSN Malaysia,
MSN Singapore,
Yahoo Entertainment,
Daily Mail,
Fabulous,
Forbes,
The Daily Mirror,
The Sun,
Wiley Online Library
and
Covers:
Health, science, psychological aspects of current affairs, politics & news, justice & court cases, almost anything that's interesting
Doesn't Cover:
Knitting patterns, Kardashians, and anything that would fit on Twitter
Interview
What was your first job as a journalist?
School magazine, then free-lancing in London
Have you ever used a typewriter?
Of course : I'm a dinosaur who started writing when there were no computers.
How is social media changing news?
By blurring the margins of genuine news, with a flood of "celebrity" gossip , pseudo-news, & fluff
Who's your favorite fictional journalist?
Probably someone in an Enid Blyton book.
What does it mean to be a journalist?
To tell people true things they need to know, in a style they will find agreeable and challenging enough to want to read.
What's the funniest news-related #hashtag you've seen?
I don't find hashtags a valid art form. It's a substitute for real humour or comment
How do you prefer to be pitched on stories?
with accompanying offers of money, & lucid description of what's wanted
What tools and software do you use to do your job?
Laptop, Word, and arthritic fingers. Occasional interventions by cat, who is very comforting
What's your favorite social network?
Linked-In
Who do you wish followed you?
I used to have a cult following : I think they were Moonies, but I haven't seen them lately
Why did you become a journalist?
Why not ? A way to express my views, inform and amuse others, and leave lasting traces
Did you work for your high school newspaper? If so, what did you do there?
co-editor, writer
What story are you most proud of writing or working on?
Reporting on & giving expert evidence in Human Rights trials in South Africa's Bad Old Days. Awarding Linus Pauling Woman of the Year
What advice can you offer to aspiring journalists?
Write. Write, and in your spare time, write. Far better than courses in journalism
When's the best time to pitch you?
While I am conscious. As we work in different parts of the world, precise ties are meaningless. Email is valuably asynchronous
What's the best pitch you ever got?
I'm still waiting for it.
What's the worst pitch you ever got?
My first professional editor said a journalist should be prepared to cover anything, with the possible exceptions of sodomy & folk-dancing.
What's your favorite drink?
Carbonated water / good coffee
When you're not at a computer, where are you most likely to be?
Looking for the laptop, or reading
Aside from your own, what's your favorite publication to read?
The Spectator, UK
What's the most common misperception about your beat?
That junior & fresh journalists need not learn, read, investigate, check & have lived life experience, to do it properly
Would you like to take the Muck Rack Interview?
Create a Muck Rack profile.