Tom McGann
Verified
(He/Him)
As seen in:
The Daily Telegraph,
The Canberra Times,
Daily Liberal,
Illawarra Mercury,
The Border Mail,
Queensland Country Life,
U.S. Catholic,
The Standard (Warrnambool),
Port Macquarie News,
The Advocate (Tasmania),
The Daily Advertiser (Wagga Wagga)
and
Covers:
Politics, Court, Current events, People stories, and a little bit of everything else.
South Coast journalist and court reporter for The Daily Telegraph with News Corp. Have a story? Let me know at tom.mcgann@news.com.au
Interview
What was your first job as a journalist?
Freelance at Bay Post
Have you ever used a typewriter?
No but I very much want one.
How is social media changing news?
It is making it a lot easier for people to view news. And its also making easier for people to express opinions.
Who's your favorite fictional journalist?
J. Jonah. Jamerson. GIVE ME PICTURES OF SPIDER-MAN!
What does it mean to be a journalist?
To inform the community of current events and also give people doing extraordinary things a voice.
What's the funniest news-related #hashtag you've seen?
How do you prefer to be pitched on stories?
I liked to be emailed or messaged. Gives me more time to really think about how I would go about writing it.
What tools and software do you use to do your job?
I use my iPhone for photos, my Tascam DR-05X to record interviews and my laptop with Microsoft Word to put the stories all together.
What's your favorite social network?
It's hard to pick a favourite. However I do follow a fair amount of News on Twitter, so I guess that's my answer.
Who do you wish followed you?
Michael Moore. His documentaries are some of my favourite and in a way, inspired me to get into journalism.
Why did you become a journalist?
I love hearing people's stories and being able to tell lots of people their stories is just something I am very proud of.
Did you work for your high school newspaper? If so, what did you do there?
We didn't have one unfortunately.
What story are you most proud of writing or working on?
Covering a NSW Premier news conference. Was very cool to be there in person with the other journalists. I'm extremely proud of the work.
What advice can you offer to aspiring journalists?
Put yourself out there, talk to your local paper and never say no to any opportunities. You're not doing it for money at the start.
When's the best time to pitch you?
I'm always in a news mood. So really any time. And if I'm busy, I usually get back to people with story ideas very quickly.
What's the best pitch you ever got?
Editor called me telling me the Premier was in town and if I wanted to cover it and have a story done within the day. I was of course 100% in
What's the worst pitch you ever got?
I had someone once tell me to do a story on how there are young ambulance drivers now.
What's your favorite drink?
Just a classic glass of water.
When you're not at a computer, where are you most likely to be?
At a friends house, with my girlfriend or going for a walk.
Aside from your own, what's your favorite publication to read?
I will often read and look at 9news.
What's the most common misperception about your beat?
Because I'm studying politics, people think that's all I do, but I actually write stories on a bit of everything.
Would you like to take the Muck Rack Interview?
Create a Muck Rack profile.