Simon Veness
(He/Him)
As seen in:
LinkedIn,
MSN,
MSN UK,
BBC,
Daily Mail,
IndyBest,
Scribd,
The Guardian,
The Independent (UK),
The Sun
and
Covers:
Travel, sport
Doesn't Cover:
Religion, politics
If you don't know the story, you're just taking another ride. Now available: Hidden Magic Trivia! Companion book to The Hidden Magic of Walt Disney World
Interview
What was your first job as a journalist?
Junior reporter at the Bexleyheath & Welling Observer
Have you ever used a typewriter?
Yes, frequently, but many years ago!
How is social media changing news?
Comprehensively. The newspaper world is fast losing ground to news on social media, and it's not necessarily a good thing.
Who's your favorite fictional journalist?
Tintin
What does it mean to be a journalist?
Getting the story right and making it a compelling read
What's the funniest news-related #hashtag you've seen?
Can't think of one
How do you prefer to be pitched on stories?
By email
What tools and software do you use to do your job?
The internet, Cyberlink video editing, YouTube, WeTransfer.
What's your favorite social network?
Facebook
Who do you wish followed you?
Travel PRs and Travel editors
Why did you become a journalist?
Sports
Did you work for your high school newspaper? If so, what did you do there?
No. There was no such thing in Gravesend in the 1970s.
What story are you most proud of writing or working on?
The next one
What advice can you offer to aspiring journalists?
Be persistent, but learn newspaper style
When's the best time to pitch you?
After 9 any morning
What's the best pitch you ever got?
Disney's Millennium celebration
What's the worst pitch you ever got?
Too many to mention!
What's your favorite drink?
Martini
When you're not at a computer, where are you most likely to be?
Watching sport
Aside from your own, what's your favorite publication to read?
Travel + Leisure magazine
What's the most common misperception about your beat?
That travel writing is some kind of vacation!
Would you like to take the Muck Rack Interview?
Create a Muck Rack profile.