Robrt Pela
VerifiedInterview
What was your first job as a journalist?
I launched my own newspaper when I was 23 years old. I owned and operated this newspaper for ten years.
Have you ever used a typewriter?
Yes. In the good old days. I much prefer a word processor, for the record.
Who's your favorite fictional journalist?
Charles Foster Kane
What does it mean to be a journalist?
Finding the story, delivering it on time, and making it as engaging as possible for the reader. Mostly? Ethics.
How do you prefer to be pitched on stories?
Via email.
What tools and software do you use to do your job?
Microsoft Word. IPhone 7. Digital recorder.
What's your favorite social network?
Facebook, I suppose.
Did you work for your high school newspaper? If so, what did you do there?
Yes. I was the photography editor and a reporter.
What story are you most proud of writing or working on?
My 2016 cover feature, "Memory Lane," about caring for my elderly mother who has Alzheimer's disease.
What advice can you offer to aspiring journalists?
Turn in clean copy, and turn it in on time.
When's the best time to pitch you?
Anytime. Always. Right now.
What's your favorite drink?
Glenlivet on the rocks.
When you're not at a computer, where are you most likely to be?
In bed, reading. Having a long, meandering discussion with my husband.
What's the most common misperception about your beat?
That criticism is consumerism. Critics aren't here to promote your work; we're here to discuss it using critical thinking.
Would you like to take the Muck Rack Interview?
Create a Muck Rack profile.