What was your first job as a journalist?
I covered sports for my community weekly when I was 18.
Have you ever used a typewriter?
Yes. I remember buying my first typewriter and carrying it home on the handlebars of my bicycle.
How is social media changing news?
Scoops last minutes -- maybe hours -- not a day. More importantly, it's encouraging more journalists to interact publicly.
Who's your favorite fictional journalist?
J. Jonah Jameson, who else? Favourite film journalist? Lowell Bergman played by Al Pacino in The Insider.
What does it mean to be a journalist?
A journalist should provide an accurate reflection of the world before them, nurture debate and be a diligent researcher of fact and opinion.
What's the funniest news-related #hashtag you've seen?
-- Canadians protest Internet law by tweeting most mundane details of their lives to Public Safety Minister Vic Toews.
How do you prefer to be pitched on stories?
A short introductory e-mail that gets to the point.
What tools and software do you use to do your job?
MacBook Pro (Safari OpenOffice), Sony digital voice recorder, Pentax K1000 camera, telephone and shoe leather.
What's your favorite social network?
A large wooden table festooned with pints of ale and bottles of wine being enjoyed by my friends. Social media? Facebook.
Who do you wish followed you?
I have a lot of respect for Silver Donald Cameron and his work. If he followed me, I'd be extremely flattered.
Why did you become a journalist?
I discovered as a student in university that I loved doing it for free. I thought it would be a great career and it has been.
Did you work for your high school newspaper? If so, what did you do there?
I worked for my school paper in CEGEP (like junior college in Quebec) and in University. I was reporter, editor and production manager.
What story are you most proud of writing or working on?
A feature on Dinuk Wijeratne, the multi-talented Sri-Lankan born musical director of the Nova Scotia Youth Orchestra.
What advice can you offer to aspiring journalists?
Stop aspiring and start doing; it's the only way you're going to learn how to do it and whether you're going to enjoy doing it.
