Chief Digital Officer at @cityofmesa | Pulitzer-winner on @USATodayNetwork team | MBA from @ASU | Husband | Father to 2 pups | @Huskers | RTs ≠ endorsements
Interview
What was your first job as a journalist?
Production assistant at KLKN
Have you ever used a typewriter?
Yes
How is social media changing news?
Everything is faster. Everyone is easier to reach. Anyone with a smartphone has a voice...for better or worse.
Who's your favorite fictional journalist?
Superman
What does it mean to be a journalist?
The public has a right to know. We have the duty to deliver that information and let (a hopefully informed) society decide for themselves.
How do you prefer to be pitched on stories?
Email. I go through all my emails. I keep a clean inbox and make sure I never have an email alert I haven't seen.
What tools and software do you use to do your job?
Too many to list. Multiple video aggregation tools, Skype, all social media, Google maps for cross reference and geolocation. Oh, and a pen.
What's your favorite social network?
Reddit
Why did you become a journalist?
Love telling amazing stories, using innovative technologies and asking really tough questions. Love knowing the details and delivering them.
Did you work for your high school newspaper? If so, what did you do there?
I didn't. I didn't know what I wanted to do until my junior year of college. Some days I still don't.
What story are you most proud of writing or working on?
Stories that make a difference. We've helped raise money for people with horrible diseases and given them a chance to keep living.
What advice can you offer to aspiring journalists?
Do as many internships as possible and make them worthwhile. As questions and ask for more to do. It'll pay off. Learn to one-man-band!
When's the best time to pitch you?
Viral never sleeps and neither do I. Not true, but just email me.
Would you like to take the Muck Rack Interview?
Create a Muck Rack profile.