Marisa Wikramanayake
As seen in:
South China Morning Post,
Sydney Morning Herald,
The Age,
SBS,
FanSided,
Brisbane Times,
The New Daily,
WAtoday,
FT Sri Lanka,
Popular Resistance
and
Covers:
politics, business, technology, science, environment, arts, books, gaming, literature, entertainment, lifestyle, beauty, fashion, music, activism, racism, cycling, cricket, soccer, afl, documentaries,
Doesn't Cover:
parenting, children, beauty trends, celebrities, royal family, fashion trends, movies,
Interview
What was your first job as a journalist?
I was a weekly columnist for a national Sri Lankan paper for 4 years covering politics, popular culture & life in Australia.
Have you ever used a typewriter?
No but I wish I had one.
How is social media changing news?
It's a great tool to disseminate important information in a crisis & it's a great means of debunking false information when news is spread.
Who's your favorite fictional journalist?
Hands down? Lois Lane. She never was content to stay put - something drove her to get out there and find out what was going on.
What does it mean to be a journalist?
You are the means of getting important information from the source to the reader. You are the one who has to convey it accurately.
What's the funniest news-related #hashtag you've seen?
#auspol probably.
How do you prefer to be pitched on stories?
Editors: email brief with deadline/angle & releases attached. Others: Press releases via email with clear subject lines so I can catch it.
What tools and software do you use to do your job?
MS Office, Adobe Suite, Wordpress, Audactiy, Asana, HP laptop, HTC phone, Nikon camera, Skype, too many to list here
What's your favorite social network?
Facebook & Twitter. I follow interesting people on both but I get more interesting stuff I can pass on & influence more people via Facebook.
Who do you wish followed you?
Anyone keen on science news & what we get up to in Australia. People who want to know more about the world as I cover Sri Lanka as well.
Why did you become a journalist?
I like filling my head with facts & then I want to disseminate them, communicate what others want to say & inform people.
Did you work for your high school newspaper? If so, what did you do there?
We didn't have one but I did try to get a school magazine together but not many were keen. I was photographer for a university one.
What story are you most proud of writing or working on?
It changes but at the moment I am most proud of my pieces on China's One Belt One Road policy & Scientology & the presidential election.
What advice can you offer to aspiring journalists?
Just start pitching, get an ABN for your invoices so you can get paid, get the Aus Writers Marketplace & join online groups & newsletters.
When's the best time to pitch you?
I freelance 9 to 5 Australian Eastern Time M-F, so preferably months in advance so I have time to find a publication who wants the story.i
What's the best pitch you ever got?
I am not entirely sure that there is one yet. Try and wow me please. :)
What's the worst pitch you ever got?
I told a PR person I had no pub to place a fashion story but he insisted I go to an event & his clients weren't told & kept asking about it.
What's your favorite drink?
Buy me a soft drink if you must. Coca Cola is fine. I acutally rather you talk to me & get to know me than try to buy me drinks for press?
When you're not at a computer, where are you most likely to be?
In bed. Or in front of my phone. I am rarely not working.
Aside from your own, what's your favorite publication to read?
I don't have a favourite as I find that the ethics of a publication change each time the editor does but Djed Press & The New Daily are good
What's the most common misperception about your beat?
That I have enough time/word space to go into one source's side of a story in detail. I usually don't & I have a lot of people to talk to.
Would you like to take the Muck Rack Interview?
Create a Muck Rack profile.