What was your first job as a journalist?
Assistant editor and writer for a small tabletop games magazine in the 1990s.
Have you ever used a typewriter?
Yes, back when dinosaurs ruled the Earth.
How is social media changing news?
The 24-hour cycle has been weaponized and amped up. There is no analysis: just a firehose of details that buries all pertinent context.
Who's your favorite fictional journalist?
It's based on a real person, but Peter Sarsgaard's version of Charles Lane in Shattered Glass is a favorite.
What does it mean to be a journalist?
Tp provide the public with the information they need to make informed and ethical decisions.
What's the funniest news-related #hashtag you've seen?
N/A
How do you prefer to be pitched on stories?
Email
What tools and software do you use to do your job?
Microsoft Word, due diligence, and the internet.
What's your favorite social network?
Tumblr. The last bastion of fun and frivolty.
Who do you wish followed you?
She already follows me.
Why did you become a journalist?
I'm Autistic, and I fell in love with the movies at an early age. I'm very lucky to get paid to explore that passion.
Did you work for your high school newspaper? If so, what did you do there?
Yes, and college. I wore a lot of hats both times: both writing and editing.
What story are you most proud of writing or working on?
Writing about movies is pretty frivlous, but I try to champion diversity and inclusion in pop culture. I'm proud of those times when I can.
What advice can you offer to aspiring journalists?
Believe in your voice and commit to truth.
When's the best time to pitch you?
Anytime.
What's the best pitch you ever got?
N/A
What's the worst pitch you ever got?
N/A
What's your favorite drink?
Coca-cola on ice.
When you're not at a computer, where are you most likely to be?
Elsewhere.
Aside from your own, what's your favorite publication to read?
Sight
What's the most common misperception about your beat?
That it's easy. It's remarkably fulfilling and it can be a lot of fun, but those aren't the same things.
