Have you ever used a typewriter?
I've used a braille typewriter...I don't know if it counts
How is social media changing news?
I think social media is like a double-edged sword. On the one hand, social networks are democratizing the creation and dissemination of news, something that can be bad and good at the same time. It is good, because these networks allow people who are not usually represented in the media to have a voice and to share it with the world, thus amplifying their messages, but they also give a voice to those people or groups who transmit hate speech, for example. At the same time, it is also a challenge for journalists to keep track of all the information that is shared on social media sites, because not all the information that is shared is trusthworthy.
How do you prefer to be pitched on stories?
By email or Twitter DMs. I love geting PR pitches! I try to respond to all of them.
What tools and software do you use to do your job?
Both on my computer and on my phone I use a screen reader, which is an application that bervalises everything on the screen except for undescribed photos (please describe images). This type of program allows me to use the technology in the same way (and at the same speed) as a sighted person. To write articles I use Microsoft Word, because it is quite comfortable and accessible, and I usually use the free Gramarly extension in Google Chrome to edit them and catch simple errors. For online interviews I use Zoom or Team Talk, and I tend to record in-person interviews with my phone.
What's your favorite social network?
Twitter. I love Twitter.
Why did you become a journalist?
Since I was a child, I knew that I wanted to be a journalist and discover secrets, bring out truths and deal with issues that are not usually dealt with by traditional media, such as visual impairment or the accessibility of the technologies we have. When I was a child, I thought that doing journalism was as simple as interviewing people and writing a story about it. I also thought it was something glamorous, related to travel and celebrities. Nothing could be further from the truth. Reality is much more difficult and exciting, and the essence of the search for truth remains the same.
What story are you most proud of writing or working on?
To be honest...I can't decide between the feature I did on access to information for the visually impaired in the wake of the Covid19 pandemic for Model View Culture, or the last article I wrote for ZORA on the new normality that awaits us after the pandemic and the changes that have taken place as a result and why these should be maintained.
When you're not at a computer, where are you most likely to be?
Somewhere cozy and warm with friends or family, talking and drinking lots of coffee.
Aside from your own, what's your favorite publication to read?
I love reading the BBC. It's like a dream pub for me.
