Michael Allardyce
Verified
(He/Him)
As seen in:
U.S. Soccer,
Yahoo Entertainment,
Sports Illustrated,
Yahoo Sports,
FOX Sports,
Yahoo,
FanSided,
KNBC-TV (Los Angeles, CA),
KXAS-TV (Fort Worth, TX),
KNTV-TV (San Jose, CA),
NBC Sports Bay Area
and
Covers:
Chicago Bears, Chicago Bulls, Chicago Blackhawks, Chicago Cubs, Chicago White Sox, UFC
Sr. Director, Content @USSoccer. 🇺🇸⚽️
Formerly: Director, Multi-Platform Content @NBCSChicago; @FanSided; MMA at Sports Illustrated (@SInow).
Interview
What was your first job as a journalist?
Blogger
Have you ever used a typewriter?
Yes
How is social media changing news?
It's changing how you create content for news because it needs to be something that can't be conveyed in a social post
Who's your favorite fictional journalist?
I loved the scene in The Wire when reporters in a Baltimore newspaper office are debating which word accurately described a person's emotion
What does it mean to be a journalist?
In sports being a journalist means something very different than news. In sports it's about bridging the gap between fans and athletes
What's the funniest news-related #hashtag you've seen?
Can't think of one
How do you prefer to be pitched on stories?
Email
What tools and software do you use to do your job?
Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Premiere, and many, many more
What's your favorite social network?
Reddit
Who do you wish followed you?
K.C. Johnson
Why did you become a journalist?
A simple love of sports and a desire to talk sports.
Did you work for your high school newspaper? If so, what did you do there?
No
What story are you most proud of writing or working on?
I really enjoyed working with the NBC Sports Chicago crew on our Michael Jordan "I'm Back" episode of the Sports Uncovered Podcast.
What advice can you offer to aspiring journalists?
Work on your versatility. Being able to do multiple aspects of journalism makes you valuable to media companies.
When's the best time to pitch you?
Anytime in my inbox
What's the best pitch you ever got?
I enjoy people prepping you for interviews with subjects by giving you an interesting thread to follow to get a good story from a person
What's the worst pitch you ever got?
Offshore books pushing all sorts of survey/study results to simply get link backs.
What's your favorite drink?
Coffee with French vanilla creamer
When you're not at a computer, where are you most likely to be?
With my son doing something
Aside from your own, what's your favorite publication to read?
The Athletic
What's the most common misperception about your beat?
It's glamorous and fun. It's nights, weekends, holidays... time away from family and loved ones. It's long hours, with immense pressure.
Would you like to take the Muck Rack Interview?
Create a Muck Rack profile.