Interview
What was your first job as a journalist?
statehouse reporter in Harrisburg, Pa. for UPI
Have you ever used a typewriter?
Yes, for decades. It was all I needed--until it wasn't!
How is social media changing news?
For the better: good stories can go far and wide. And for the worse: shoddy stories and fake news are easily spread.
What does it mean to be a journalist?
To tell people what they need to know, even if they don't always want to know it.
Who do you wish followed you?
Various editors I greatly respect
Why did you become a journalist?
A vocation that gave me entrée to talk to anyone, great or small, to be part of the fun of producing the news, and to see my work and name in print proved irresistible.
Did you work for your high school newspaper? If so, what did you do there?
I was a high school newspaper dropout. I wanted something more substantial
What story are you most proud of writing or working on?
A piece revealing what a coal company had done to mountains & communities in part of West Va. I gathered the information over 7 years.
What advice can you offer to aspiring journalists?
Don't be afraid to be a big fish in a small pond for a while at the start. You'll be better prepared to handle the big time.
When's the best time to pitch you?
Any time
When you're not at a computer, where are you most likely to be?
On a bicycle, reading, or working on the yard
Aside from your own, what's your favorite publication to read?
New York Review of Books
Would you like to take the Muck Rack Interview?
Create a Muck Rack profile.