Patrick Kiger
Verified
Journalist, author, blogger, pop culture pontificator. Opinions strictly my own. RTs not necessarily endorsements. He/him
Interview
What was your first job as a journalist?
Staff writer at Pittsburgh Magazine.
Have you ever used a typewriter?
Yes.
How is social media changing news?
It's enabled people to spread disinformation on a massive scale.
Who's your favorite fictional journalist?
Nick Mullen (Gabriel Byrne) from "Defence of the Realm."
What does it mean to be a journalist?
I'm kind of like a plumber, but I use words instead of a wrench.
What's the funniest news-related #hashtag you've seen?
Hashtags vanish from my memory pretty quickly.
How do you prefer to be pitched on stories?
By email.
What tools and software do you use to do your job?
Probably the same ones most people in my business use.
What's your favorite social network?
I don't really like any of them that much. I use Twitter a lot, though.
Who do you wish followed you?
In the checkout line? Or Royal succession?
Why did you become a journalist?
I didn't want to be a lawyer.
Did you work for your high school newspaper? If so, what did you do there?
I did, but it's not that interesting of a story.
What story are you most proud of writing or working on?
My 1995 GQ article on the disappearance of heiress Helen Brach.
What advice can you offer to aspiring journalists?
Be prepared for everything to change dramatically in the course of your career.
When's the best time to pitch you?
By email, in the morning.
What's the best pitch you ever got?
I'll pass on this one.
What's the worst pitch you ever got?
I'll pass on this one, too.
What's your favorite drink?
Vietnamese coffee.
When you're not at a computer, where are you most likely to be?
Working out, or playing with my dogs.
Aside from your own, what's your favorite publication to read?
Wired
What's the most common misperception about your beat?
That I would write an article that primarily promotes a company's product.
Would you like to take the Muck Rack Interview?
Create a Muck Rack profile.