Travis Schlepp
Verified
As seen in:
Rabble News,
Medium,
MSN,
Yahoo Entertainment,
Yahoo Life,
Yahoo News,
Aol,
Yahoo Finance,
Changing America,
The Hill,
Flipboard
and
Covers:
Travel, transportation, community, housing, breaking news and sports.
Writer, reporter, 2007 Pontiac Vibe owner. Editor-in-chief at rabblenews.com; Formerly of @ktla @newschannel312 @dodgersnation
Interview
What was your first job as a journalist?
I was a newscast assistant at KTVQ in Billings, editing bumps, teases and VOs and then operating the studio cameras during the show.
Have you ever used a typewriter?
We had a large black antique typewriter in my house growing up. I would pretend to write on it so it would move the carriage and snap back.
How is social media changing news?
Social media has led to misinformation and harassment that has driven a lot of great journalists out of the industry. Good stuff is out there
Who's your favorite fictional journalist?
Perd Hapley
What does it mean to be a journalist?
To do hard work that is important without expecting notoriety or riches. Also, to amplify your own passions.
What's the funniest news-related #hashtag you've seen?
Anything that's long is a bad hashtag. It should be one or two words, tops, and no numbers.
How do you prefer to be pitched on stories?
Email. Always email.
What tools and software do you use to do your job?
Wordpress, Google Docs, SmartMath SEO, Meta Business Suite, RSS reader, Canva, Ai software for transcriptions.
What's your favorite social network?
It was Twitter. Now I'm probably most on Reddit.
Who do you wish followed you?
I go back and forth between wanting people to support me or ignore me. I guess anyone who has gained something from my work.
Why did you become a journalist?
I became a journalist on accident. I worked at a TV news station because I wanted to be around cameras. I fell in love with storytelling.
Did you work for your high school newspaper? If so, what did you do there?
Nope. Couldn't even type until my 20s.
What story are you most proud of writing or working on?
Too many to track. At Dodgers Nation I interviewed the curator of the National Ballpark Museum in Denver shortly after his wife passed.
What advice can you offer to aspiring journalists?
Don't be afraid to start/fail. Don't be afraid to ask people to over-explain. Take care of yourself, your subjects and the people around you
When's the best time to pitch you?
Pitch me at a time of day when you're actually able to respond to follow-ups. Don't send and clock out.
What's the best pitch you ever got?
The idea of rich parents "hiring" their kids to help out around the house in exchange for a paycheck and real work experience. AKA, chores.
What's the worst pitch you ever got?
Rich parents "hiring" their kids to help out around the house in exchange for a paycheck and real-life work experience. Aka, chores.
What's your favorite drink?
Iced hot chocolate or Diet Dr. Pepper.
When you're not at a computer, where are you most likely to be?
Watching baseball at a brewery with my wife, or at a theme park.
Aside from your own, what's your favorite publication to read?
The Athletic; and OG Sports Illustrated.
What's the most common misperception about your beat?
As someone who writes a ton about transit, the amount of times I've been called a transit hater is ridiculous.
Would you like to take the Muck Rack Interview?
Create a Muck Rack profile.