Sam Portillo on Muck Rack

Sam Portillo

(He/Him)
Cardiff, Newport
Covers:  Social issues, science, politics, future and sport.
Doesn't Cover: Cooking and gardening, though I'm willing to give them a try!

Interview

How is social media changing news?

Quality journalism still exists, but news 'these days' tends to be more bitesized and sensationalised, and stories have a shorter shelf-life.

What does it mean to be a journalist?

Journalism should be about making otherwise out-of-reach and complicated stories easy to access and understand.

What tools and software do you use to do your job?

Twitter, Medium, Paint.net. The Google and Microsoft suites.

What's your favorite social network?

Definitely Twitter. It feels like a journalistic microcosm - a whole world condensed into an app - and there's some funny stuff, too.

Who do you wish followed you?

Celebrity-wise? Maybe Frank Lampard, Goodall... Obama would be cool. Realistically, I'm happy to connect with other aspiring journalists.

Did you work for your high school newspaper? If so, what did you do there?

I helped to set up the school newspaper and worked as the editor-in-chief.

What story are you most proud of writing or working on?

Many, all for different reasons. Maybe my investigation into Welsh democracy, because it felt personal. I've also enjoyed covering EURO 2020!

What advice can you offer to aspiring journalists?

I am an aspiring journalist myself. Advice to myself, then: keep working on improving.

When you're not at a computer, where are you most likely to be?

Scrolling through Twitter on my phone.

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