Richard Chachowski
(He/Him)
Somerset
As seen in:
MSN,
Yahoo Entertainment,
Yahoo Life,
Yahoo Canada,
Yahoo News Malaysia,
Aol,
Yahoo Finance,
Yahoo Finance Singapore,
Yahoo Sport UK,
Yahoo Sports
and
Covers:
Entertainment, travel, and sports
Doesn't Cover:
Business
Interview
What was your first job as a journalist?
My first official job was as a ghostwriter for the online medical journal, Physician Sense.
Have you ever used a typewriter?
Unfortunately, not. I wish...
How is social media changing news?
It's far easier now to report stories and continue adding on to them as more details are revealed.
Who's your favorite fictional journalist?
Fletch, of course
What does it mean to be a journalist?
Never wavering in telling the unfiltered truth, free from personal biases or individual opinions.
What's the funniest news-related #hashtag you've seen?
Hard to say--I don't really look at
How do you prefer to be pitched on stories?
For story pitches, please free to email! I make an effort to answer all emails in a very timely fashion.
What tools and software do you use to do your job?
Google Docs and WordPress, mostly. I use Google to find reliable sources that I then cite for my work.
What's your favorite social network?
Instagram
Who do you wish followed you?
Michiko Kakutani.
Why did you become a journalist?
I love writing. I love everything about it--researching, editing, putting pen to paper, typing. I suppose it came from reading so much.
Did you work for your high school newspaper? If so, what did you do there?
Yes, I had a satirical column in my high school newspaper, covering politics and the 2016 election.
What story are you most proud of writing or working on?
I don't send out a story unless I'm proud of it in every single way. If it has my name on it, I won't send out anything less than the best.
What advice can you offer to aspiring journalists?
To quote the brilliant advice given to me by the imminently talented W. Maxwell Prince: "Read, write, and get off your phone"
When's the best time to pitch you?
I look at most of my emails from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., but I'm available pretty much around the clock.
What's the best pitch you ever got?
That would have to be my "classic horror films" for Fangoria. As a long-time fan, writing for them was a dream come true.
What's the worst pitch you ever got?
I'm convinced there's no such thing as a bad pitch--only bad ideas how to broach it.
What's your favorite drink?
A hot cup of coffee
When you're not at a computer, where are you most likely to be?
Usually on the couch, reading. Or outside reading. Or laying down in bed, reading. Or standing up ... and reading.
Aside from your own, what's your favorite publication to read?
The New Yorker.
What's the most common misperception about your beat?
That it requires no research. In point of fact, it requires a TON of research.
Would you like to take the Muck Rack Interview?
Create a Muck Rack profile.