Shia Kapos
Verified
(She/Her)
As seen in:
Illinois Playbook Newsletter,
POLITICO,
MSN,
Yahoo News,
California Playbook Newsletter,
Chicago Tribune,
Fortune,
Politico Nightly Newsletter,
POLITICO Playbook,
Substack,
Weekly Score Newsletter,
West Wing Playbook Newsletter
and
Covers:
Government, politics and all the players involved.
Politics reporter @POLITICO and author of the Illinois Playbook. Proud Chicagoan who grew up on a farm before doing journalism in SLC, SanFran and NYC.
Interview
What was your first job as a journalist?
Librarian at the Salt Lake Tribune.
Have you ever used a typewriter?
Yes but not as a journalist.
How is social media changing news?
I'm writing news on social media sometimes before I write the story. Readers want news fast.
Who's your favorite fictional journalist?
Mary Tyler Moore
What does it mean to be a journalist?
I pull together lots of information into a story and make it clear and concise so readers understand what's up.
How do you prefer to be pitched on stories?
Email or phone.
What tools and software do you use to do your job?
old-fashioned spread sheets to keep track of names and data.
What's your favorite social network?
Twitter/Facebook.
Who do you wish followed you?
Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, Donald Trump.
Why did you become a journalist?
I liked to write and tell stories.
Did you work for your high school newspaper? If so, what did you do there?
Yes, I was a reporter.
What story are you most proud of writing or working on?
Interview w/ CEO talking about being trans; investigation into the state losing million$ on a failed concert; report on women on corp boards
What advice can you offer to aspiring journalists?
Be persistent and consistent.
When's the best time to pitch you?
Morning by phone or anytime by email.
What's the best pitch you ever got?
"A billionaire CEO wants to sit down and talk to you."
What's the worst pitch you ever got?
any pitch that's so long, I can't get through reading it--even when I try.
What's your favorite drink?
Water.
When you're not at a computer, where are you most likely to be?
Meeting with sources.
Aside from your own, what's your favorite publication to read?
Washington Post, New York Times, Wall Street Journal.
What's the most common misperception about your beat?
That I have an opinion going in to a story--I don't.
Would you like to take the Muck Rack Interview?
Create a Muck Rack profile.