Nish Amarnath
New York
Founder, Lanecraft Lab. Author rep’d by @lauren_bieker (@FinePrintLit); Prev @harpercollins @reuters @wsj @columbiajourn @mediaLSE; She/her.
Interview
What was your first job as a journalist?
An intern at The Indian Express, a freelancer for India Today.
Have you ever used a typewriter?
Yes
How is social media changing news?
Any avid user can break news in a jiffy. Journalism has become a lot more. If you want to stay, you'd better have something unique to offer.
Who's your favorite fictional journalist?
Dana Evans, Sidney Sheldon's TV news reporter and Sarajevo war correspondent.
What does it mean to be a journalist?
Storytelling is who I am. For me, being a journalist and writer is part of the destiny that brings me in alignment with my higher self.
What's the funniest news-related #hashtag you've seen?
What tools and software do you use to do your job?
S&P Capital IQ, Bloomberg Terminal, Thomson Reuters Eikon, Pubwiz, Global Content Capture, Drupal CMS
What's your favorite social network?
Twitter
Who do you wish followed you?
Binyamin Applebaum, Christina Amanpour and Gillian Tett
Why did you become a journalist?
I enjoy exploring the human psyches and doing my bit to uplift collective consciousness through story-telling and reporting.
Did you work for your high school newspaper? If so, what did you do there?
Yes, I did. I was editor-in-chief of the student news publication titled 'Newsish' comprising a 15-member editorial board.
What story are you most proud of writing or working on?
You'll soon find out! :)
What advice can you offer to aspiring journalists?
Journalism isn't for the faint-hearted. It's a rewarding profession if you can live and breathe it.
When's the best time to pitch you?
Any time of day. The best way is on email: nish@alumni.lse.ac.uk
What's the best pitch you ever got?
A scoop on a $1B+ bond deal
What's the worst pitch you ever got?
A pitch on five ways to manage a divorce. It came to me when I was running an oil and gas beat at S&P!
What's your favorite drink?
Manhattan [yep, I'm a Manhattan lady too!], Prosecco, Pinot Grigio, Self-made martinis!
When you're not at a computer, where are you most likely to be?
In the music studios singing and making music. And in the gardens or the riverside running or meditating.
Aside from your own, what's your favorite publication to read?
Financial Times, The Economist
What's the most common misperception about your beat?
That the tendency for journalists to misquote people is rampant. Journalists on my beat are for the most part sincere, accurate and committed
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