Ricky Jones
Verified
(He/Him)
As seen in:
The Courier-Journal (Louisville, KY),
MSN,
USA Today,
Yahoo News,
Substack,
Yahoo Sports,
Yahoo,
Des Moines Register,
RealClear Politics,
The Columbus Dispatch,
Delaware Online
and
Covers:
History, Race, Politics, Sports, and Culture
| @Morehouse Man | Author of “Black Haze” & “What’s Wrong with Obamamania?” | Professor | Columnist
Interview
What was your first job as a journalist?
Writer for Louisville Eccentric Observer
Have you ever used a typewriter?
Yes - a LONG time ago!
How is social media changing news?
Moves things faster and makes everyone a potential reporter, etc. That is good AND bad.
Who's your favorite fictional journalist?
That's easy. CLARK KENT!
What does it mean to be a journalist?
Journalists are the public's professors. They should always seek truth and always people to think.
What's the funniest news-related #hashtag you've seen?
How do you prefer to be pitched on stories?
Call or e-mail
What tools and software do you use to do your job?
A computer, Microsoft Word and my mind.
What's your favorite social network?
Probably Twitter.
Who do you wish followed you?
Barack Obama
Why did you become a journalist?
I really don't classify myself a journalist. I'm an opinion writer. That's different. My academic work drew attention from newspaper editors.
Did you work for your high school newspaper? If so, what did you do there?
No, I did not.
What story are you most proud of writing or working on?
No single one. Proud of my overarching engagement of the continuing story of race in America.
What advice can you offer to aspiring journalists?
Read and write - A LOT. The more you do it, the better you'll be at it. Outlets matter. Talent matters more!
When's the best time to pitch you?
Any
What's the best pitch you ever got?
"We'd like you to come on the Travel Channel's Mysteries at the Museum and talk about Muhammad Ali." I jumped at it.
What's the worst pitch you ever got?
"Tucker Carlson would like you to come on the show to talk about your recent article. He' ll be fair." Of course, he wasn't.
What's your favorite drink?
Bourbon - neat.
When you're not at a computer, where are you most likely to be?
A university classroom, the gym or volleyball tournaments with my daughter. .
Aside from your own, what's your favorite publication to read?
Crisis, the New Yorker and the Atlantic.
What's the most common misperception about your beat?
That all the great writers and thinkers live in New York or DC. THEY DON'T! As Andre 3000 once said, the South got somethin' to say!
Would you like to take the Muck Rack Interview?
Create a Muck Rack profile.