What was your first job as a journalist?
Freelancer at the Smithtown News
Have you ever used a typewriter?
Yes
How is social media changing news?
It's making it more immediate, with new information constantly coming out in real time, and the subjects have more control of their message.
Who's your favorite fictional journalist?
Oscar Madison
What does it mean to be a journalist?
It means to find out information that the average person can't get, and finding the truth without spin or opinion.
What's the funniest news-related #hashtag you've seen?
Not sure. Only recently stared on Twitter.
How do you prefer to be pitched on stories?
By phone of email.
What tools and software do you use to do your job?
Macs and PCs. I have done layout in Quark XPress and edited in Quark, Saxotech and CCI Newsgate.
What's your favorite social network?
Facebook.
Who do you wish followed you?
The editors of the New York daily papers.
Why did you become a journalist?
I always loved writing and since I couldn't play baseball well enough, I figured I would write about it.
Did you work for your high school newspaper? If so, what did you do there?
Yes, I started writing music reviews, but was editor in chief as a senior.
What story are you most proud of writing or working on?
Covering the 1999 PSAL track championships when the defending girls 100-meter champion couldn't run because her coach wasn't at the meet.
What advice can you offer to aspiring journalists?
Make sure you know the deadlines and reread your stories before sending them to be edited.
When's the best time to pitch you?
After 9 am
