What was your first job as a journalist?
movie critic
Have you ever used a typewriter?
Yep!
How is social media changing news?
It is democratizing, which is good, and destabilizing, which is bad. There's a lot of disinformation out there.
Who's your favorite fictional journalist?
Clark Kent
What does it mean to be a journalist?
As Mencken said, to comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable.
How do you prefer to be pitched on stories?
Email
What tools and software do you use to do your job?
Wordpress
Why did you become a journalist?
I have questions, I have opinions, and I like to write.
Did you work for your high school newspaper? If so, what did you do there?
Movie critic
What story are you most proud of writing or working on?
Broke a national news story on the fakery of Baby Einstein.
What advice can you offer to aspiring journalists?
Read the best, ask tough questions, write every day.
When's the best time to pitch you?
With enough time to prepare/cover the story.
What's the best pitch you ever got?
Any chance to interview a screenwriter or director of a film with national distribution is a great pitch.
What's the worst pitch you ever got?
A "flesh-colored" (pink!) belt for pregnant women to pipe music into their bellies.
What's your favorite drink?
Tea
When you're not at a computer, where are you most likely to be?
at the movies
Aside from your own, what's your favorite publication to read?
Slate
