Digital Editor at @cyclingweekly
Interview
What was your first job as a journalist?
Trainee Reporter at the Surrey Mirror. Favourite stories involve an angry Freddy Star and five stolen chickens.
Have you ever used a typewriter?
Yes! My best friend gave me one for my birthday many years ago.
How is social media changing news?
Far too many people rely upon unreliable sources.
Who's your favorite fictional journalist?
NA. Non-fictional, Caitlin Moran.
What does it mean to be a journalist?
I was 7 when I decided I wanted to be an author. Journalist became the obvious day job, I soon realised the importance of the distinction.
What's the funniest news-related #hashtag you've seen?
Honestly, no idea. Is that an acceptable answer?
How do you prefer to be pitched on stories?
Via email, or pick up the phone (I'll be moody about the cold call for ~30 seconds then relax). Never via Instagram, Twitter or LinkedIn.
What tools and software do you use to do your job?
Wordpress, and a good old fashioned dictophone.
What's your favorite social network?
Reluctantly, Twitter.
Who do you wish followed you?
Caitlin Moran
Why did you become a journalist?
To share experiences and the richness of the human race via the written word. Why would I want to do anything else?
Did you work for your high school newspaper? If so, what did you do there?
I worked for the uni newspaper, and wrote some cringey storey about the on campus GP service being not quite up to scratch.
What story are you most proud of writing or working on?
'Cycling’s hidden under-fuelling epidemic'. We carried out a survey into amateur cyclist's relationship with food, finding 25% were not well.
What advice can you offer to aspiring journalists?
Do an NCTJ with 100 wpm shorthand, even if you don't think you'll be doing court reporting. Less stress later.
When's the best time to pitch you?
Early afternoon, when the barrage of morning tasks has dwindled but I'm not yet planning my evening escape.
What's the best pitch you ever got?
Dear Michelle...
What's the worst pitch you ever got?
Dear Sirs...
What's your favorite drink?
Fresh water with a squeeze of lemon? Ha - no. Disaronno on ice.
When you're not at a computer, where are you most likely to be?
Riding a bike somewhere in the Surrey Hills/Sussex Downs or curled up at home reading a book.
Aside from your own, what's your favorite publication to read?
I've already skipped this question once.. so if there's no escaping it, probably Cyclist, Rouleur and The Guardian.
What's the most common misperception about your beat?
That it's all some conspiracy theory to swindle people out of their money. We just like bikes and want more people to enjoy them,
Would you like to take the Muck Rack Interview?
Create a Muck Rack profile.