Roger Coryell
Verified
As seen in:
Flipboard,
The Mercury News,
The Sacramento Bee,
The Press Democrat,
San Luis Obispo Tribune,
East Bay Times,
The Modesto Bee,
Marin Independent Journal,
SiliconValley.com,
Wine Business Monthly
and
Covers:
Wine, agriculture, food, local news
Digital marketer, crazy dog person, garlic guy, content wrangler at Sonoma County Gazette
Interview
What was your first job as a journalist?
Radio news at WBSL Sheffield MA in 1993. First paid journalism, News Director, KTOB Petaluma early '80s.
Have you ever used a typewriter?
Yep. I am an amazing two finger typist.
How is social media changing news?
Too long for space available
Who's your favorite fictional journalist?
Clark Kent
What does it mean to be a journalist?
Telling true stories.
What's the funniest news-related #hashtag you've seen?
How do you prefer to be pitched on stories?
By email
What tools and software do you use to do your job?
Ulysses, Libre Office, Otter, InDesign, Photoshop, Notion, iPhone, Lightroom Classic, Slack, Google Drive.
What's your favorite social network?
Substack
Who do you wish followed you?
Mark Twain
Why did you become a journalist?
Nature and nurture. My dad was a newspaper publisher, my mom a fourth generation writer and editor. I fought it...
Did you work for your high school newspaper? If so, what did you do there?
Junior high, West Hartford CT
What story are you most proud of writing or working on?
They are all like children, I can't pick one
What advice can you offer to aspiring journalists?
It's about the story, not the medium. Tell true stories.
When's the best time to pitch you?
Any time
What's the best pitch you ever got?
"Come join us at Cyrus for a chef interview"
What's the worst pitch you ever got?
9 out of ten press releases
What's your favorite drink?
Wine. Rutherford cab, Dry Creek zin, Russian River pinot noir.
When you're not at a computer, where are you most likely to be?
Garden, kitchen, bed.
Aside from your own, what's your favorite publication to read?
New York Times
What's the most common misperception about your beat?
Together, Napa, Sonoma, Lake and Mendocino counties cover about 7,100 square miles... the size of New Jersey.
Would you like to take the Muck Rack Interview?
Create a Muck Rack profile.