Philip O'Connor
Verified
As seen in:
Our Man In Stockholm,
MSN,
MSN Australia,
MSN Brasil,
MSN Canada,
MSN Ireland,
MSN Malaysia,
MSN New Zealand,
MSN Singapore,
MSN UK,
The New York Times
and
Covers:
Sports, politics, media, entertainment, general news
Love dares you to care for the people on the edge of the night.
Journalist covering sport/politics/everything, everywhere.
@philipeblana on Insta & Threads
Interview
What was your first job as a journalist?
Writing for blogs, websites and fanzines for free about soccer.
Have you ever used a typewriter?
Yes, and I don't miss it one bit.
How is social media changing news?
It's not, but it is changing how we report it.
Who's your favorite fictional journalist?
Clarke Kent.
What does it mean to be a journalist?
Everything.
What's the funniest news-related #hashtag you've seen?
Pretty much anything to do with the last presidential election in the US.
How do you prefer to be pitched on stories?
Quickly.
What tools and software do you use to do your job?
Whatever is best, from cameras and microphones to pens and paper.
What's your favorite social network?
Twitter.
Who do you wish followed you?
People with the power to change things for the better.
Why did you become a journalist?
Because I feel it's what I am meant to do - talk to people, listen to them, tell their stories.
Did you work for your high school newspaper? If so, what did you do there?
Nope, I was too busy causing trouble for that kind of thing.
What story are you most proud of writing or working on?
Anytime I amplify a voice that otherwise would not be heard, I'm proud.
What advice can you offer to aspiring journalists?
You can make money, or you can be honest and true, but it's very hard to do both.
When's the best time to pitch you?
If it's good and suits my profile? Anytime. If it's not and it doesn't? Never.
What's the best pitch you ever got?
I usually dig up 99% of the stories I end up reporting on, but a Kobe Bryant interview with a colleague was special.
What's the worst pitch you ever got?
Let me link you to my Trash basket in Gmail...
What's your favorite drink?
Coffee, the bigger the better.
When you're not at a computer, where are you most likely to be?
On the phone, at a game or catching up on some sports event.
Aside from your own, what's your favorite publication to read?
Right now it's The Athletic, particularly the Boston Celtics coverage of Jay King, and MMAFighting.com and the work of Petesy Carroll.
What's the most common misperception about your beat?
That an opinion is as valid as a fact.
Would you like to take the Muck Rack Interview?
Create a Muck Rack profile.