Samantha Hendrickson
Verified
As seen in:
The Columbus Dispatch,
MSN,
MSN Ireland,
MSN Malaysia,
MSN UK,
Yahoo Life,
Scribd,
The Independent (UK),
The Washington Post,
USA Today,
Yahoo Canada
and
Covers:
Local government, investigative, international, social issues, politics, protests, features, profiles, obits, human interest, history, crime, legislation, student government, student affairs.
professional meddling kid. craft & cozy enthusiast. business & consumer issues reporter @DispatchAlerts. bylines: @AP via @Report4America, @journalsentinel
Interview
What was your first job as a journalist?
A staff reporter at the student-run publication, the Minnesota Daily.
Have you ever used a typewriter?
Never have, and would only for aesthetic purposes. I'm far too impatient.
How is social media changing news?
Social media demands more instant news, and creates a lack of patience for the full story. But it has its purpose.
Who's your favorite fictional journalist?
Honestly, I'm not a fan of the way a lot journalists are portrayed in fiction.
What does it mean to be a journalist?
To be a journalist is to strive to tell the truth as a service to the citizens of the town, city, state, country and world we live in.
How do you prefer to be pitched on stories?
Through email, with a phone call for follow up questions.
What tools and software do you use to do your job?
Presto or Google Docs
What's your favorite social network?
Twitter!
Who do you wish followed you?
Megan Twohey from the NYTimes.
Why did you become a journalist?
I became a journalist to amplify the voices of those around me who deserve to be heard.
Did you work for your high school newspaper? If so, what did you do there?
I was homeschooled, so I didn't work at a paper until my junior year of college.
What story are you most proud of writing or working on?
I am most proud of a profile on world-renowned attorney and human rights activist Kimberley Motley.
What advice can you offer to aspiring journalists?
Write. And then keep writing. You only get better. Make friends and keep them, you never know who will be a source.
When's the best time to pitch you?
In the mornings after 8am.
What's the best pitch you ever got?
A pitch about my university not being fully transparent about their investment in the fossil fuel industry. Thanks secret employee!
What's the worst pitch you ever got?
Any pitch that is a PR pitch, not a news pitch. I'm not your publicist, guys.
What's your favorite drink?
Green tea with lemon, or vodka with prosecco.
When you're not at a computer, where are you most likely to be?
In front of a book or cooking in my kitchen!
Aside from your own, what's your favorite publication to read?
The Atlantic, The Guardian, BBC, NPR, the Washington Post.
What's the most common misperception about your beat?
That I have one! I cover so many topics.
Would you like to take the Muck Rack Interview?
Create a Muck Rack profile.