What was your first job as a journalist?
I started my own movie review website in 2000 after graduating college. I ended up getting a job at Lionsgate from it.
Have you ever used a typewriter?
When I was, like, 5.
How is social media changing news?
Makes it harder to break through the glut of nonsense to get to the truth.
What does it mean to be a journalist?
Tell the truth. Tell interesting stories. Give people the information they deserve, especially when those in power don't think they do.
How do you prefer to be pitched on stories?
I like to be emailed with a full idea of what the pitch is, who is available, and why it makes sense for us to write about.
What's your favorite social network?
None? I guess BlueSky because it's where I feel like my contemporaries hang out, but I'm too old to get that into it.
Who do you wish followed you?
I live by the "I don't want to belong to any club that would accept me as one of its members" mantras. No one should follow me.
Why did you become a journalist?
I wanted to be a screenwriter. Then I became a blogger in my spare time. I fell into journalism from there and somehow I'm an editor now.
Did you work for your high school newspaper? If so, what did you do there?
I did not. I was an aspiring screenwriter.
What story are you most proud of writing or working on?
Helping break the story about Kevin Brown's suspension by the owner of the Balitmore Orioles felt really good. That guy sucked.
What advice can you offer to aspiring journalists?
If doors won't open, start your own thing and prove why they should be opened. Don't wait around for permission.
When's the best time to pitch you?
Mornings (PT) are usually the best time to reach me.
What's your favorite drink?
I'm a recovering Diet Coke addict, so let's say the vanilla blended espresso beverage at Caffe Ladro.
When you're not at a computer, where are you most likely to be?
I am either walking around Seattle, hiking in one of the nearby mountains, or eating a bagel with a focus most would find disturbing.
Aside from your own, what's your favorite publication to read?
I'm a big newsletter reader. My favorites include Ryan Broderick's Garbage Day and Brian Grubb's Type Click Type.
What's the most common misperception about your beat?
That we hate the people we cover.
