What was your first job as a journalist?
Pest control (black-legged ticks) and jewelry market news/analysis.
Have you ever used a typewriter?
Yeah, in a museum but I got yelled at. Now I'm trained not to go near them.
How is social media changing news?
It's divisive, it appeals to people's emotions and desire for acceptance instead of their desire for evidence, truth, & accuracy.
Who's your favorite fictional journalist?
The Hard Times writers.
What does it mean to be a journalist?
Question everything. Learn something. Answer nothing. –Euripides
What's the funniest news-related #hashtag you've seen?
Probably the collective series of hashtags on The Hard Times News satirical posts.
What tools and software do you use to do your job?
My fingers, my brain, my eyes, and—most of all—my heart. (Too cheesy?)
What's your favorite social network?
Probably Reddit, since during the Texas Snowstorm everyone in r/Austin helped each other out (i.e. provide water, warm food, etc).
Who do you wish followed you?
Probably the local geckos. If I could walk down the street and amass a temporary following of geckos, I'd be happy.
Why did you become a journalist?
Well I'm always looking for news and information online, but I'm troubled by all of the misinformation, so I wanted to help make a change.
Did you work for your high school newspaper? If so, what did you do there?
No, but I worked for our literary magazine. I edited contributions and I gave 80% of them brutal feedback that I regret (slightly).
What story are you most proud of writing or working on?
Probably the 20 drafts on Medium that I never seem to have time to get to work on.
What advice can you offer to aspiring journalists?
Don't sell your soul to any publication. Don't write anything if you're pressured you to lie or omit facts. Think critically. Be you.
What's your favorite drink?
Matcha tea, water, almond milk, and coffee.
When you're not at a computer, where are you most likely to be?
Outside running around like crazy with a frisbee and a skateboard, in the woods, at the gym, asleep, or eating pasta.
Aside from your own, what's your favorite publication to read?
Probably Dissent Magazine, The Hard Times, Aeon.co, Reuters, the NYT, the Apeiron Blog (Medium) and Tales of Prehistory (Medium).
What's the most common misperception about your beat?
That I'm only a "blog post writer." I've written comedic speeches, fictional dialogue, custom poems, film reviews, & many more.
