Freelance Editor @thisisnorthstar, and writer for hire. All views my own.
Interview
What was your first job as a journalist?
Writing for a local paper where I grew up, the Evening Telegraph. Those newsrooms are the best start for any aspiring writer IMO.
Have you ever used a typewriter?
Yes - I like the theory and the tactility, if not the messy reality!
How is social media changing news?
For the worse - investigative journalism giving way to re-heated stories gleaned from Twitter is not a sustainable publishing model.
Who's your favorite fictional journalist?
Paul Kemp from the 'The Rum Diaries' by Hunter S. Thompson
What does it mean to be a journalist?
To write stories that your reader might never realise they even had a hunger for, to surprise, and to always take them with you.
How do you prefer to be pitched on stories?
I like to be emailed a brief to digest and mull it over - I can think on my feet but the best answers come when you're not caught cold.
What tools and software do you use to do your job?
Adobe Suite software, the trusty CMS and the SEO optimisation tool are the weapons of the modern journalist. Use them wisely.
What's your favorite social network?
Tough call. Twitter has many problems but as a news/trends resource it's hard to beat. Instagram is like visual meditation.
Why did you become a journalist?
I knew I wanted to write from a young age, but gradually I realised that I wanted to use writing to share my biggest passions in print.
What story are you most proud of writing or working on?
True North - A travel story driving from Stockholm to Copenhagen, in three parts. It looked great in print but was even better online.
What advice can you offer to aspiring journalists?
Start small. If you can't write a 90 word downpager then you'll never master a feature. The length changes, but the principles stay the same.
When's the best time to pitch you?
Anytime. I try to approach every creative problem with a fresh mind, to see what the best possible content scenario will be.
What's your favorite drink?
The classic negroni at Bar Temini, Soho.
When you're not at a computer, where are you most likely to be?
On location, doing filming and photography, or running or cycling somewhere close to Hyde Park in London.
Aside from your own, what's your favorite publication to read?
I love Wired, Cyclist Magazine, The California Sunday, and if I have a lot of time to spare, Monocle, as it takes hours to absorb.
What's the most common misperception about your beat?
Most auto journalists can't write about anything else - I tend to be the opposite - I like writing about anything (and everything) I enjoy.
Would you like to take the Muck Rack Interview?
Create a Muck Rack profile.