Sherri L. Smith
(She/Her)
As seen in:
Gizmodo,
MSN,
Yahoo Life,
Yahoo Canada,
Yahoo Singapore,
Engadget,
Fox News,
Gizmodo en Español,
Yahoo Finance,
Yahoo Finance Singapore,
PC Magazine Australia
and
Covers:
Consumer technology, mobile technology, gaming, audio, kitchen tech, health tech
Tech and games journalist with a passion for good food and better drink.
Interview
What was your first job as a journalist?
I was an editorial assistant at BlackPlanet.com and MiGente.com, interviewing celebrities, covering protests, and writing ad copy.
Have you ever used a typewriter?
YES! I had a word processor in high school. We still had typing classes back then. How far we've come.
How is social media changing news?
It's a viable news source as you can use it for quotes from high-profile subjects or mine it for rumors and various leaks.
Who's your favorite fictional journalist?
Murphy Brown. Loved her drive and ethics.
What does it mean to be a journalist?
Being a journalist means you're taking an unspoken oath to be objective in your coverage and give readers the most accurate story possible.
How do you prefer to be pitched on stories?
With a well thought-out email pitch detailing what the product is, who's it for, and what makes it stand out from the competition. It should have some voice and not sound like boilerplate copy.
What tools and software do you use to do your job?
I try to live a platform-agnostic lifestyle with my tech. I have a few exceptions: My smartphone will always run on Android, and my laptop will always be a Windows model (because I'm a PC gamer). But professionally, I'm well versed in most things Apple.
What's your favorite social network?
Facebook to keep in touch with family and friends. Threads has supplanted X for me as the what's going on in the world app. Insta for flexin.
Who do you wish followed you?
Anyone who's passionate about tech, love, life, and making the world a better place.
Why did you become a journalist?
I became a journalist because I wanted to tell people the real story whether it's interviewing someone or doing a deep dive on a product.
Did you work for your high school newspaper? If so, what did you do there?
Yes, I was the editor in chief of both the newspaper and our literary magazine. I also headed up the yearbook.
What story are you most proud of writing or working on?
My review of the Alienware M18 for Laptop Mag, it was my first five-star product. And my latest review of the Pixel 9 Pro Fold for Gizmodo.
What advice can you offer to aspiring journalists?
Be open to criticism, don't let the commenters get to you, don't be afraid to pitch that off-the-wall story.
When's the best time to pitch you?
In the morning or afternoon.
What's the best pitch you ever got?
Razer's April Fool's Day pitches are always hilarious. Although there are a few that I wish were real.
What's the worst pitch you ever got?
I got a pitch to interview a far-right columnist who had a book coming out while I worked at a consumer technology site. It was wild.
What's your favorite drink?
A great bourbon, scotch, or whiskey with two rocks or one big rock.
When you're not at a computer, where are you most likely to be?
I'm either cooking, reading, gaming or racking up steps walking my dogs.
Aside from your own, what's your favorite publication to read?
Gizmodo, Engadget, NYT, Daily Beast, The Guardian, IGN, Bon Apetit, Wired
What's the most common misperception about your beat?
That anyone can do it. Yes, a lot of people can procure the product, but it takes know-how to get to story behind it.
Would you like to take the Muck Rack Interview?
Create a Muck Rack profile.