What was your first job as a journalist?
Pencil sharpener on a posh freebie London magazine back in 1989. My main job was to regularly top up the staff jug of Pimms.
Have you ever used a typewriter?
Yes, but I also used a lot of Tippex
How is social media changing news?
I prefer not to rely on algorithms which give me more of what they think I want. There are only so many fluffy kittens I can handle.
Who's your favorite fictional journalist?
Lois Lane. Great hair!
What does it mean to be a journalist?
Low paid, under valued, available 24/7, grateful when someone returns your call. But on a good day, it is the best feeling in the world.
How do you prefer to be pitched on stories?
Brief email
What tools and software do you use to do your job?
A lot of teabags
What's your favorite social network?
Twitter mainly because it allows me to reach people quickly for comment. But I prefer not to tweet regularly for fear of waking the undead.
Who do you wish followed you?
Polite, kind people who have something better to do than point out my failings
Why did you become a journalist?
Lap dancing seemed too much like hard work
Did you work for your high school newspaper? If so, what did you do there?
I started my school newspaper but it took so long to print out on an ancient drum copying machine, I had left before the second issue.
What story are you most proud of writing or working on?
Never proud, just relieved. Always hoping the next one might at least make my mum proud.
What advice can you offer to aspiring journalists?
Learn shorthand. Mine is crap and I live in constant fear of my Dictaphone failing.
When's the best time to pitch you?
There is no good or bad time to pitch, only good or bad stories. A good story will get my attention at any time.
What's the best pitch you ever got?
A penguin-themed sex toy in the post that my young daughter opened and called Pingu.
What's the worst pitch you ever got?
I particularly dislike superlatives from jolly PRs who are super pleased. Just be normal, folks.
What's your favorite drink?
A double
When you're not at a computer, where are you most likely to be?
Lying down in a darkened room wondering if I have just filed a load of rubbish to the features desk.
Aside from your own, what's your favorite publication to read?
Local newspapers, the Mail Online sidebar of shame, and for a more erudite read, the kids magazine Aquila. Love a bit of Mumsnet too.
What's the most common misperception about your beat?
That I have any control about what I write or how it is edited or whether it will even be printed.
