What was your first job as a journalist?
My first job was with Platts covering commodity markets.
Have you ever used a typewriter?
Yes, in middle school for schoolwork.
How is social media changing news?
Social media is advantageous in that it connects more people to more news more quickly. However, it also breeds misinformation.
Who's your favorite fictional journalist?
Jack Burden from Robert Penn Warren's All the King's Men.
What does it mean to be a journalist?
To be a journalist means to take on the responsibility of understanding, analyzing, and explaining important developments for readers.
What's the funniest news-related #hashtag you've seen?
I don't know, it's a jungle out there.
How do you prefer to be pitched on stories?
Via email
What tools and software do you use to do your job?
Mostly company proprietary software
What's your favorite social network?
Facebook
Who do you wish followed you?
Company CEOs
Why did you become a journalist?
I love seeking out new information, building knowledge, telling stories, and speaking with experts.
Did you work for your high school newspaper? If so, what did you do there?
I did not.
What story are you most proud of writing or working on?
I am most proud of a story this year in which I outlined the current state and future prospects of the US' burgeoning lithium industry.
What advice can you offer to aspiring journalists?
Always keep on learning, researching, and networking to improve your knowledge base and become an expert on your beats.
When's the best time to pitch you?
Any time
What's the best pitch you ever got?
One pitch for a graphite company described graphite as not being as "sexy" as other battery stories but still important.
What's the worst pitch you ever got?
See my response on best pitches.
What's your favorite drink?
Old Fashioned
When you're not at a computer, where are you most likely to be?
On the couch watching movies, reading, or in the kitchen cooking and mixing drinks.
Aside from your own, what's your favorite publication to read?
The New Yorker
What's the most common misperception about your beat?
The most common misperception is that the markets I cover operate in a closed loop and don't impact our everyday lives.
