Paul Spencer
Richmond
As seen in:
The New York Times,
Wiley Online Library,
WIRED Magazine,
VICE,
The Business Journals,
Stereogum,
Audubon,
Modern Farmer,
Richmond Times-Dispatch,
Spartan
and
Covers:
Religion, alternative medicine, health care, technology, local/state/national politics, entrepreneurs & startups, local food economies, local ecology, history, arts+culture. What'd I miss?
Writes. Local: @StyleWeekly National: @NYTmag @NYTMetro @Wired @Vice @Stereogum @AudubonSociety @ModFarm & others
Interview
What was your first job as a journalist?
I'd say my first "real" story was covering illegal fox trafficking in Virginia. The foxes are chased by dogs in a fenced enclosure, for sport
Have you ever used a typewriter?
Yes!
How is social media changing news?
It's adding a creative narrative layer to stories -- and boosting the "noise to signal" ratio.
Who's your favorite fictional journalist?
Do people always say "Clark Kent" for this one?
What does it mean to be a journalist?
To give others a better understanding of the world.
What's the funniest news-related #hashtag you've seen?
How do you prefer to be pitched on stories?
By email.
What tools and software do you use to do your job?
Twitter, Google Drive, Skype and a Skype recorder, Digg Reader, Microsoft Word, to name a few.
What's your favorite social network?
Twitter.
Who do you wish followed you?
Is this where I say "Obama" and then blame him for something?
Why did you become a journalist?
In a word: to document change.
Did you work for your high school newspaper? If so, what did you do there?
Yes. I wrote articles, worked in the advertising dept. and helped out with page design.
What story are you most proud of writing or working on?
Proud of all the things I publish.
What advice can you offer to aspiring journalists?
Patience.
When's the best time to pitch you?
Anytime.
Would you like to take the Muck Rack Interview?
Create a Muck Rack profile.