What was your first job as a journalist?
My first paid job was with the St. Louis Sentinel.
Have you ever used a typewriter?
Yes.
How is social media changing news?
Shares seem to be more about the headline than the actual content, and people are not necessarily reading what they share.
Who's your favorite fictional journalist?
I don't have one.
What does it mean to be a journalist?
To tell stories with a passion but above all accuracy. I love the facts.
What's the funniest news-related #hashtag you've seen?
How do you prefer to be pitched on stories?
I hate vapid pitches. I am also a PR pro so pitches that have no substance irritate me.
What tools and software do you use to do your job?
I stick with the basics: MS Word and MS products. The main social networks. My iPhone.
What's your favorite social network?
Facebook.
Who do you wish followed you?
People with the ability to answer any question I pose or people who are helped by something I share. Of course, journalists.
Why did you become a journalist?
To tell stories.
Did you work for your high school newspaper? If so, what did you do there?
I did. I was a reporter, the features editor, and finally editor-in-chief. I was also on the local newspaper's junior editorial board.
What story are you most proud of writing or working on?
The story I wrote about black women chefs and their stresses.
What advice can you offer to aspiring journalists?
Be passionate about competency, the core competencies. Care about spelling names correctly, details and facts, and building a story. Care.
When's the best time to pitch you?
Any time.
What's the best pitch you ever got?
I've yet to receive it.
What's the worst pitch you ever got?
The one sent to me the other day. The person just said, "check us out." I did.
What's your favorite drink?
Coffee. Bourbon. Coffee.
When you're not at a computer, where are you most likely to be?
Reading a book, shopping vintage and resale stores, and watching something really good on TV.
Aside from your own, what's your favorite publication to read?
Lately, I've enjoyed the Washington Post more than ever. I love the reporting.
What's the most common misperception about your beat?
That it is only about recipes and star chefs.
