Michael Theis
(He/Him)
As seen in:
The Chronicle of Higher Education,
Medium,
HuffPost,
ABC News,
Associated Press,
U.S. News and World Report,
Albany Business Review,
Albuquerque Business First,
Atlanta Business Chronicle,
Austin Business Journal,
Birmingham Business Journal
and
Covers:
Higher education, philanthropy
Local journalist covering his hometown.
Interview
What was your first job as a journalist?
My first job in journalism was working as a cameraman at WHAG-NBC 25 in Hagerstown, Md.
Have you ever used a typewriter?
I used a typewriter to compose papers in elementary school, but by the time I was in middle school, we had a computer with a word processor.
How is social media changing news?
It's changing how spot news is reported and puts a greater emphasis on the curation of social media chatter during breaking news events.
Who's your favorite fictional journalist?
I don't read much fiction, but Ralph Ellison's Invisible Man and George Orwell's 1984 left a huge impact on me.
What does it mean to be a journalist?
It means you become a civic watchdog for your community. Which means you have to file FOIA's.
How do you prefer to be pitched on stories?
Quite frankly, I don't care how you do it. Just make sure it's relevant to my beat and you'll have my attention.
What tools and software do you use to do your job?
I use TextEdit to write, Photoshop to edit my photographs, Final Cut to edit my videos, and Hootsuite to push my content through the tubes.
What's your favorite social network?
Twitter is my favorite social network because it's exceedingly simple. If it wasn't for work, I'd delete my Facebook profile.
Why did you become a journalist?
Because I enjoy research and advancing a public good at the same time.
Did you work for your high school newspaper? If so, what did you do there?
Yes. I was a staff photographer at the DeMatha Stagline from my junior year on.
What story are you most proud of writing or working on?
I am still most proud of my coverage of a small town annexation which won me my first WVPA investigative journalism award.
What advice can you offer to aspiring journalists?
Be exceedingly nice to the secretaries, clerks and receptionists you encounter on your beat or you can forget making your deadlines.
When's the best time to pitch you?
You'll have my complete attention if you contact me between 2 a.m. and 5 a.m.
Would you like to take the Muck Rack Interview?
Create a Muck Rack profile.