What was your first job as a journalist?
Sent to do vox pops near the Tower in Portsmouth.
Have you ever used a typewriter?
No but I'd like to give it a go!
How is social media changing news?
It is allowing far more citizen journalists to emerge and this is dangerous for fact verification.
Who's your favorite fictional journalist?
Clarke Kent? Ron Burgundy?
What does it mean to be a journalist?
It means holding individuals and groups to account, giving a voice to the people who are not heard and providing a vital service.
What's the funniest news-related #hashtag you've seen?
I can't say I remember any amusing ones.
How do you prefer to be pitched on stories?
It's all about relevance to the audience. Check which locations I cover first, or think about how I could tie your content in to the patch.
What tools and software do you use to do your job?
iMovie, Adobe Premiere
What's your favorite social network?
Facebook. It's just so much easier to navigate than the others.
Who do you wish followed you?
Robert Peston, JoB, Nick Ferrari, Phil Mcnulty.
Why did you become a journalist?
It's my passion and my greatest strength.
Did you work for your high school newspaper? If so, what did you do there?
It didn't exist
What story are you most proud of writing or working on?
Difficult to say as every story has its own merits.
What advice can you offer to aspiring journalists?
Be patient and don't let yourself get knocked back in the early days by criticism. Do everything to build contacts and get your name out!
When's the best time to pitch you?
Between 9am and 11am Tuesday-Friday.
What's the best pitch you ever got?
Too many to choose from!
What's the worst pitch you ever got?
A one sentence pitch that spelled my name wrong and had no substance to it.
What's your favorite drink?
Coffee probably. A journalists fuel!
When you're not at a computer, where are you most likely to be?
Work wise - in the car, at a job or using a smartphone.
Aside from your own, what's your favorite publication to read?
I enjoy the Metro for its range of topics and the readability of it (not full of ads!).
What's the most common misperception about your beat?
Too broad a question.
