What was your first job as a journalist?
Weekend cops and fire for an AM radio station.
Have you ever used a typewriter?
Learned on an Underwood manual in high school. Used a Smith-Corona electric in college. Wrote 11 screenplays on an IBM Selectric.
How is social media changing news?
It's ruining it. Opinion is passed off as fact. Amateurs and bad actors get the news wrong either accidentally or deliberately.
Who's your favorite fictional journalist?
Lois Lane
What does it mean to be a journalist?
It means never having enough information, just a deadline.
How do you prefer to be pitched on stories?
After you've done your research to determine if I'd even be remotely interested.
What tools and software do you use to do your job?
MS Word, Corel PaintShop Pro, Xara Designer Pro, Adobe Elements, Corel VideoStudio, Excel, Airtable, Debut Video Capture.
What's your favorite social network?
Facebook
Who do you wish followed you?
Tom Robbins
Why did you become a journalist?
To find out what the hell is really going on.
Did you work for your high school newspaper? If so, what did you do there?
I was a feature writer for our underground newspaper called The Informer. Almost got kicked out of high school for satirizing teachers.
What story are you most proud of writing or working on?
Catching the governor of California selling out his constituents in an 80-page legislative package he was sponsoring.
What advice can you offer to aspiring journalists?
Assume nothing.
When's the best time to pitch you?
At least a week in advance. Even more in advance if possible.
What's your favorite drink?
Beer
When you're not at a computer, where are you most likely to be?
In my head.
Aside from your own, what's your favorite publication to read?
Washington Post
What's the most common misperception about your beat?
People think I have a hidden agenda.
