Pearse Anderson
As seen in:
Yahoo Life,
Issuu,
The Guardian,
Earther,
The Verge,
WIRED Magazine,
Rolling Stone,
Atlas Obscura,
Polygon,
Salon
and
Covers:
Internet culture, gaming, climate, food, style, Gen Z issues, music, entertainment
TTRPG designer (🍞🎲🍀📗). Same name on all social. Words in @guardian, @wired, @verge, @foodandwine, @teenvogue, @i_D more! he/him. pearse@pearseanderson.com
Interview
What was your first job as a journalist?
I reported on a young theater production doing some musical for the Ithaca High School Tattler. My dad dropped me off. An amazing night.
Have you ever used a typewriter?
My father used to have a massive briefcase typewriter I used a few times. My college had an entire room of them for student use! Not my thing
How is social media changing news?
I think it can be democratizing in who can read journalism/journalists, but it should never be a replacement for well-funded local newsrooms.
Who's your favorite fictional journalist?
Anyone who reveals a massive conspiracy through muckraking and on-the-ground reporting, and actually enacts change through their writing!
What does it mean to be a journalist?
I think it means bettering the world by revealing misinformation, "punching up" at corruption, and building community. It's wonderful.
What's the funniest news-related #hashtag you've seen?
Twitter is so fleeting in trends that I have no real sense of Twitter events 6 months ago. I did enjoy recent Chinggis Khan discource.
How do you prefer to be pitched on stories?
I like emails that I can't turn away from, especially ones that give me a few sources to start talking to.
What tools and software do you use to do your job?
Otter.ai, Olympus & Sony recorders, Field Notes reporter's notebooks, lots of Google Sheets & Docs
What's your favorite social network?
I love Twitter but I also have good feelings about Discord, Goodreads, and the dumb ones like LinkedIn
Who do you wish followed you?
People who give good story tips! Also John Darnielle of The Mountain Goats, my alderman and elected reps, and assigning editors.
Why did you become a journalist?
I saw stories no one was writing, I was having a good time doing it, and it pays so much better than fiction writer.
Did you work for your high school newspaper? If so, what did you do there?
I was the News editor, Arts editor, and I dueled for the EiC position even though I didn't want it. Guess I cut my teeth in high school news?
What story are you most proud of writing or working on?
I'm working on a piece of cheese journalism that constantly amazes me. I am proud of how many hours and sources I got for it.
What advice can you offer to aspiring journalists?
Get on Twitter early and network with those your age. Join online communities, like Study Hall, but most importantly raise each other up.
When's the best time to pitch you?
Early in the day, I'm an early riser with a complicated spreadsheet system.
What's the best pitch you ever got?
I was recently asked by an international tabletop roleplaying game to review one of their newest games, they sent me a copy of it
What's the worst pitch you ever got?
I was once asked to ghostwrite a very neocolonial biography, and thankfully never followed up.
What's your favorite drink?
Iowa City's Hamburg Inn No. 2 pie shake.
When you're not at a computer, where are you most likely to be?
Due to quarantine, I'll be in the kitchen trying to make dairy-free pies for my loved ones. I love early morning adventures and drives.
Aside from your own, what's your favorite publication to read?
I have a soft spot for Mel Magazine. Every headline is intriguing.
What's the most common misperception about your beat?
Although I write about very weird things, I also have tons of normal article ideas and thoughts. I'm not ever fully immersed in my subculture
Would you like to take the Muck Rack Interview?
Create a Muck Rack profile.