Rich Hobson
Verified
As seen in:
Metal Hammer,
MSN,
MSN UK,
Yahoo Entertainment,
Yahoo Life,
VICE,
Flipboard,
New Musical Express (NME),
Yahoo,
Classic Rock,
Louder
and
Covers:
Rock and metal music, Arts and Entertainment, History, Lifestyle, Film, Media, Food & Drink, Travel, Culture, Video Games
News editor for @MetalHammer. Words for @ClassicRockMag @louderposts. He/Him
Views my own.
Portfolio: muckrack.com/rich-hobson
Interview
What was your first job as a journalist?
Editorial intern for Fenice Media
Have you ever used a typewriter?
When I was very, very little. I miss chunky keyboards that at least somewhat replicated the feel!
How is social media changing news?
Stories can break instantaneously, but so too can responses to stories, allowing rapid expansion on a subject as a story develops.
Who's your favorite fictional journalist?
William Miller
What does it mean to be a journalist?
You help shape narratives and tell stories - which in turn can inspire other stories further down the line.
What's the funniest news-related #hashtag you've seen?
No idea!
How do you prefer to be pitched on stories?
Via email - happy to talk ideas through by phone/video chat too though.
What tools and software do you use to do your job?
Word, YouTube, Google, Wikipedia and the local library.
What's your favorite social network?
Twitter, as awful as it can be sometimes.
Who do you wish followed you?
Edgar Wright, John Carpenter, Henry Rollins; basically any of my favourite creators!
Why did you become a journalist?
Because I wanted to explore stories, learn new things and make my passions more than just something I could bleat to friends about.
Did you work for your high school newspaper? If so, what did you do there?
We didn't have one - I did make a short-lived videogame newsletter though.
What story are you most proud of writing or working on?
Exploring the story of Rock in Rio lead to some of my favourite features to work on, in regards to both Sepultura and Faith No More.
What advice can you offer to aspiring journalists?
Dig as deep as you can when looking at a subject and look outside just the subject you are exploring.
When's the best time to pitch you?
Any time of day really - just expect responses to come in the late evening!
What's the best pitch you ever got?
Covering the story of the Ukranian metal band Jinjer, looking at how the civil war affected their lives and musical journey.
What's the worst pitch you ever got?
Nothing like getting a pitch on a hot new rock band only to stick it on and hear godawful cliche pop.
What's your favorite drink?
Rhubarb gin & lemonade
When you're not at a computer, where are you most likely to be?
Back in the day it'd be gigs, but right now off hiking or swimming.
Aside from your own, what's your favorite publication to read?
Rolling Stone do great in-depth portraits, but Empire/Total Film and Film Stories are setting new standards for engagement with cinema.
What's the most common misperception about your beat?
That music journalism is somehow 'lesser' than other avenues, particularly its significance within a sociological and historical context.
Would you like to take the Muck Rack Interview?
Create a Muck Rack profile.