Pat Raia
As seen in:
Hernando Sun,
Aol,
Yahoo,
WSB-TV (Atlanta, GA),
KIRO-TV (Seattle, WA),
Next Avenue,
WFTV-TV (Orlando, FL),
WSOC-TV (Charlotte, NC),
NewsBreak,
Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal,
WPXI-TV (Pittsburgh, PA)
and
Covers:
Welfare, litigation and legislation for the equine industry as well as domestic and international business and general topics
What's new in equine welfare
Interview
What was your first job as a journalist?
I was an intern in the editorial page of the Chicago Sun-Times
Have you ever used a typewriter?
Oh yes
How is social media changing news?
Immensely. Too often the public jumps to conclusions - not all of them good - as the result of social media postings.
What does it mean to be a journalist?
Seek the truth and hold a mirror up to the community. Let them see themselves from every angle
How do you prefer to be pitched on stories?
Respectfully
Why did you become a journalist?
To help people understand each other and their communities. It's corny, but I was brought up to believe that we had a responsibility.
Did you work for your high school newspaper? If so, what did you do there?
I did. I was the feature editor of the Mother Guerin High School newspaper
What story are you most proud of writing or working on?
A kidnapping I covered in Chicago that helped make families aware of an ethnic kidnapping ring there.
What advice can you offer to aspiring journalists?
Seek all sides of every story. Always.
When's the best time to pitch you?
Wednesday afternoons
What's the worst pitch you ever got?
There have been so many...
What's your favorite drink?
Scotch on the rocks
When you're not at a computer, where are you most likely to be?
At the barn riding my horse
Aside from your own, what's your favorite publication to read?
I read everything
What's the most common misperception about your beat?
That this job is easier than it really is
Would you like to take the Muck Rack Interview?
Create a Muck Rack profile.