NOEL HOLSTON
(He/Him)
Georgia
As seen in:
Illumination,
Medium,
HuffPost,
Los Angeles Times,
The Minnesota Star Tribune,
Orlando Sentinel,
Daily Press (Newport News, VA),
Winter Park Magazine,
Rock n' Heavy
Covers:
Popular culture, politics, the South.
Doesn't Cover:
Sports, atomic energy, biochemistry.
Interview
What was your first job as a journalist?
"Cub" reporter, Orlando Sentinel.
Have you ever used a typewriter?
Yes. Ding.
How is social media changing news?
It has made figuring out what's honest and true much harder.
Who's your favorite fictional journalist?
Brenda Starr.
What does it mean to be a journalist?
To try to figure out what's really happening and report it honestly, even if it doesn't make you happy. Also, to be skeptical, always.
What's the funniest news-related #hashtag you've seen?
What's a hashtag?
How do you prefer to be pitched on stories?
Email. And gently.
What tools and software do you use to do your job?
Simple laptop, Nikon camera.
What's your favorite social network?
Facebook.
Who do you wish followed you?
Jane Ferguson.
Why did you become a journalist?
I planned on having a career in advertising, then realized I wanted to tell the truth.
Did you work for your high school newspaper? If so, what did you do there?
Yes. Covered agriculture.
What story are you most proud of writing or working on?
My memoir, "Life After Deaf," about my battle back from total hearing loss.
What advice can you offer to aspiring journalists?
Read everything in sight.
When's the best time to pitch you?
Mid-morning.
What's the best pitch you ever got?
Don't recall.
What's the worst pitch you ever got?
A fast ball, low and inside.
What's your favorite drink?
Martini.
When you're not at a computer, where are you most likely to be?
Shooting 3-pointers
Aside from your own, what's your favorite publication to read?
The Week.
What's the most common misperception about your beat?
That it's all fun and games.
Would you like to take the Muck Rack Interview?
Create a Muck Rack profile.