Riley Connell
Verified
As seen in:
WILX-TV (Lansing, MI),
MSN,
KPHO-TV (Phoenix, AZ),
WXIX-TV (Cincinnati, OH),
NewsBreak,
KPTV-TV (Beaverton, OR),
KSLA-TV (Shreveport, LA),
KVVU-TV (Henderson, NV),
WBTV-TV (Charlotte, NC),
KMOV-TV (St. Louis, MO),
WBRC-TV (Birmingham, AL)
and
Covers:
arts and entertainment, opinion, lifestyle, fashion, community development, local business, events, features
Doesn't Cover:
Politics, economics, medical news
Interview
What was your first job as a journalist?
I'm actually in the middle of my first job as a journalist. I freelance for a local publication called Epicenter Mt. Pleasant.
Have you ever used a typewriter?
Yes! For decoration and for writing.
How is social media changing news?
It offers more exposure to news and creates public interest, but it also allows for trails of disinformation (*cough* Facebook *cough*)
Who's your favorite fictional journalist?
It's a very close tie between Carrie Bradshaw and The Lone Gunman of the X-Files.
What does it mean to be a journalist?
Being a journalist means becoming a doorway into the world that your readers can step through. You don't only inform, you share experiences.
What's the funniest news-related #hashtag you've seen?
The best I've seen was trending under the politics section. It was #whyIdon'ttakeselfiesanymore.
How do you prefer to be pitched on stories?
As long as you have enthusiasm and passion for your idea, I'll hear you out in any format.
What tools and software do you use to do your job?
The tool I use the most is my brain, but I also use WordPress quite often, as well as Google Drive and Adobe programs.
What's your favorite social network?
Like many other Zellenials, it is TikTok. Despite its silliness, there's a plethora of information and content.
Who do you wish followed you?
Christopher Walken.
Why did you become a journalist?
I became a journalist because I' a natural born story teller, and I think that the truth is hard to find these days.
Did you work for your high school newspaper? If so, what did you do there?
I did not since we did not have one! But I would have.
What story are you most proud of writing or working on?
I am most proud of a story that I wrote my sophomore year of college about a peer of mine who does drag. He was incredibly inspiring.
What advice can you offer to aspiring journalists?
As an aspiring journalist myself, the best advice I can give is that to really learn journalism you need to just get out there and do it.
When's the best time to pitch you?
Any time.
What's the best pitch you ever got?
My editor at Epicenter Mt. Pleasant pitched the idea to do a story about strong women leaders in the community.
What's the worst pitch you ever got?
I haven't had a worst pitch, but when someone starts out with "I was kind of thinking about maybe doing" it doesn't pack a punch.
What's your favorite drink?
A nice, hot, black cup of coffee.
When you're not at a computer, where are you most likely to be?
It's rare that I'm away from my computer, but when I'm not I try to get outside and enjoy the weather, or try new foods.
Aside from your own, what's your favorite publication to read?
I love to read Hour Detroit and The Detroit Metro Times to keep up on my hometown happenings.
What's the most common misperception about your beat?
Many assume that features are always "fluffly," but I think that each person on this planet has a valuable story to tell, fluffy or not.
Would you like to take the Muck Rack Interview?
Create a Muck Rack profile.