What was your first job as a journalist?
Radio journalist at WRTE Radio Arte
Have you ever used a typewriter?
Yes!
How is social media changing news?
Speeding it up but also opening pitfalls
Who's your favorite fictional journalist?
Clark Kent
What does it mean to be a journalist?
Commit to relentless, often thankless, pursuit of truth for the public good.
What's the funniest news-related #hashtag you've seen?
Sadly, I don't know any. Please share some with me!
How do you prefer to be pitched on stories?
By email
What tools and software do you use to do your job?
opensecrets.org, Pew, Twitter, Pacer, iFOIA
What's your favorite social network?
Twitter
Who do you wish followed you?
Amy Goodman
Why did you become a journalist?
I'm fascinated by people and their journeys. I believe journalism can be an agent of accountability and justice for communities.
Did you work for your high school newspaper? If so, what did you do there?
No but we had a radio program I joined
What story are you most proud of writing or working on?
My dispatch from the Salton Sea, a devastatingly beautiful lake in Southern California on the edge of collapse.
What advice can you offer to aspiring journalists?
Read the instructional reporting by the best journalists covering the beat you're interested in.
When's the best time to pitch you?
Mornings
What's the best pitch you ever got?
No one has ever pitched me
What's the worst pitch you ever got?
N/A
What's your favorite drink?
Horchata
When you're not at a computer, where are you most likely to be?
Playing soccer or at the nearest (vegan) donut shop
Aside from your own, what's your favorite publication to read?
LA Times
What's the most common misperception about your beat?
That you have to be an expert in law to cover the courts
