Sean Silcoff
Verified
As seen in:
The Globe and Mail,
LinkedIn,
The New York Times,
The Current With Matt Galloway,
The Wall Street Journal,
Barnes and Noble,
Globe and Mail Breaking News Newsletter,
MarketWatch,
Report on Business Magazine,
The Decibel,
Flipboard
and
Covers:
technology, biotechnology, innovation policy, entrepreneurship
Storyteller. Newshound. Co-wrote Losing the Signal, about BlackBerry. I cover Canadian tech/biotech/innovation for Globe & Mail. Verified.
Interview
What was your first job as a journalist?
Editorial assistant at Canadian Press. I got fired; my future wife then got my job.
Have you ever used a typewriter?
of course! I learned to type on one.
How is social media changing news?
in far too many ways to list here.
Who's your favorite fictional journalist?
Kermit the Frog in an overcoat and fedora
What does it mean to be a journalist?
It means you get to be a storyteller, which is a great way to make a living.
What's the funniest news-related #hashtag you've seen?
I don't pay much attention to the hashtags, believe it or not
How do you prefer to be pitched on stories?
I don't like press releases/pitches that read as if they've been written by an algorithm. Email is ok, calls are fine.
What tools and software do you use to do your job?
lots of tools and lots of software.
What's your favorite social network?
I don't have a favorite, but the ones I use the most are Twitter and LinkedIn.
Who do you wish followed you?
More Canadian political leaders. They could learn a lot about the country's innovation ecosystem.
Why did you become a journalist?
My mom thought it would be a good idea. She was right.
Did you work for your high school newspaper? If so, what did you do there?
A bit.
What story are you most proud of writing or working on?
An expose early in my career on the costly human and environmental legacy of a coal tar pipe-making facility in Cornwall, Ont.
What advice can you offer to aspiring journalists?
don't give up. breaking into this business is tough and can take a long time. but make sure you love it.
When's the best time to pitch you?
Morning
What's the best pitch you ever got?
Jim Balsillie, who I'd never met, offering to meet me at a hotel bar to talk about intellectual property in 2012.
What's the worst pitch you ever got?
I get a new one about every week that would qualify.
What's your favorite drink?
before 8 pm: blackberry soda water. after 8 pm: single malt scotch
When you're not at a computer, where are you most likely to be?
in the field
Aside from your own, what's your favorite publication to read?
The Beaverton
What's the most common misperception about your beat?
that's a good question. I don't have a good answer
Would you like to take the Muck Rack Interview?
Create a Muck Rack profile.