What was your first job as a journalist?
BBC Regional News Trainee for the North West of England
Have you ever used a typewriter?
yes, I started my career on a typewriter in 1989
How is social media changing news?
It's making the spreading of disinformation much easier, and the public discourse nastier and more polarized.
Who's your favorite fictional journalist?
Hildy Johnson (His Girl Friday and Hold the Front Page)
What does it mean to be a journalist?
Discipline - Journalism is the ability to write or produce what's needed whatever the distractions and however you're feeling.
What's the funniest news-related #hashtag you've seen?
I don't do hashtags
How do you prefer to be pitched on stories?
email
What tools and software do you use to do your job?
Word, Pages, and an online dictionary
What's your favorite social network?
Twitter
Who do you wish followed you?
This isn't something I give any thought to.
Why did you become a journalist?
I wanted to witness history being made, to tell the truth about it, and to make a difference.
Did you work for your high school newspaper? If so, what did you do there?
No
What story are you most proud of writing or working on?
BBC News' coverage of the 80th Anniversary of the end of WW1 (in 1998); Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement; Iraq War
What advice can you offer to aspiring journalists?
Be honest with yourself, and ask for help when you need it.
When's the best time to pitch you?
anytime - but send it by email
What's the best pitch you ever got?
"Do you fancy spending 4 weeks in Greece doing Athens Olympics background stories?"
What's the worst pitch you ever got?
"Can to go to the bomb scene to get some colour?"
What's your favorite drink?
Oktoberfest Beer
When you're not at a computer, where are you most likely to be?
In Munich or the Bavarian countryside
Aside from your own, what's your favorite publication to read?
Private Eye
What's the most common misperception about your beat?
It's glamorous (former beat - conflict journalism)
