What was your first job as a journalist?
At ENDS Report, which began covering environmental policy in the UK when the concept barely existed.
Have you ever used a typewriter?
Only to see what it was like.
How is social media changing news?
Harder to write nonsense - it gets picked up, and picked apart in real time.
Who's your favorite fictional journalist?
Honestly, I can't think of one.
What does it mean to be a journalist?
Telling stories with words and data that help people understand the world better.
What's the funniest news-related #hashtag you've seen?
Recently?
How do you prefer to be pitched on stories?
By participants, not PRs.
What tools and software do you use to do your job?
Google docs/sheets. It's not to everyone's taste but I find the charts far more attractive than Excel. Docs helps me work with colleagues.
What's your favorite social network?
Twitter. It's a great way to find people and information.
Who do you wish followed you?
You mean Barack's not already a fan?
Why did you become a journalist?
By accident. Working on my PhD thesis introduction, I realised I enjoyed writing about cool new research more than enjoyed doing it.
Did you work for your high school newspaper? If so, what did you do there?
No, I only accidentally became a journalist. I didn't have much of an idea what to do with my life when I was at school.
What story are you most proud of writing or working on?
An article about palm oil in Malaysian Borneo.
What advice can you offer to aspiring journalists?
Write about what interests you. Write with integrity.
When's the best time to pitch you?
Mostly never.
What's the best pitch you ever got?
I prefer leads to pitches.
What's the worst pitch you ever got?
Too many bad pitches to remember. I have a knack of forgetting almost all irrelevances.
What's your favorite drink?
Harveys Best - unbeatable best bitter from Lewes, near my home town of Brighton.
When you're not at a computer, where are you most likely to be?
Enjoying a meal at home with my partner.
Aside from your own, what's your favorite publication to read?
The Financial Times. It gets beyond the headline more often than other UK newspapers.
What's the most common misperception about your beat?
Electricity = energy.
