Lynda Albertson
Earth, Rome
Covers:
mafia, transnational organized crime, cultural heritage looting, art theft, antiquities, art market, museums, art crime
CEO, ARCA. Researching illicit trafficking, organized crime and looted art at artcrimeresearch.org I suspect my blood might be made of coffee.
Interview
What was your first job as a journalist?
Writing a monthly wine column for an Italian magazine.
Have you ever used a typewriter?
Yes.
How is social media changing news?
I can be in Kiev, Cairo and Rome and still be in my pajamas.
Who's your favorite fictional journalist?
Paparazzo, from Federico Fellini's film La Dolce Vita, origin of the term paparazzi.
What does it mean to be a journalist?
Honesty. Not exaggerating the facts and keeping the public informed so they can make THEIR own decision, not MINE.
What's the funniest news-related #hashtag you've seen?
How do you prefer to be pitched on stories?
Drop me an email. If its technical about a specific art theft or case, I prefer to have the questions in writing. Avoids lawsuits.
What tools and software do you use to do your job?
Macbook Pro, iEverything. MS Office (unfortunately) Adobe, Wordpress.
What's your favorite social network?
Twitter for news when you need it fast and up to the minute. Facebook for crowd sourcing.
Who do you wish followed you?
Museum Directors, Art Crime detectives,
Why did you become a journalist?
I liked the sound of a typewriter when it went "Ping"!
Did you work for your high school newspaper? If so, what did you do there?
No.
What story are you most proud of writing or working on?
A story regarding the (hopeful) return of the Getty Bronze to Italy.
What advice can you offer to aspiring journalists?
Fact check your sources. There is too little of that being done today.
When's the best time to pitch you?
GMT+1. I am in Europe so 8 pm EST I need it now requests usually come at my dinner time. :o)
Would you like to take the Muck Rack Interview?
Create a Muck Rack profile.