What was your first job as a journalist?
Food columnist on a radio show
Have you ever used a typewriter?
yes
How is social media changing news?
It's putting it in the toilet.
Who's your favorite fictional journalist?
Trent Crimm (from Ted Lasso)
What does it mean to be a journalist?
You can change how people treat each other and think about each other by including compassion in your writing.
What's the funniest news-related #hashtag you've seen?
Can't think of one
How do you prefer to be pitched on stories?
I'd like people to do their research, read the magazine
What tools and software do you use to do your job?
Microsoft Office, Google docs
What's your favorite social network?
Instagram
Who do you wish followed you?
PR firms, luxury brands
Why did you become a journalist?
I'm curious. I like talking to people and telling their stories so that people understand more and (hopefully) judge less.
Did you work for your high school newspaper? If so, what did you do there?
No
What story are you most proud of writing or working on?
The story of a chef and food activist who passed away and left a gaping hole in our community.
What advice can you offer to aspiring journalists?
Maintain your integrity and don't read the comments.
When's the best time to pitch you?
Send an email during normal work hours Monday to Friday. If I get one on the weekend, it'll get buried by the time I get to it on Monday.
What's the best pitch you ever got?
From a luxury brand who offered to pick me up by chauffeur, fly me to a 5-star hotel, have dinner and go home with a bottle of Hennessy XO
What's the worst pitch you ever got?
Any pitch that starts with "hey"
What's your favorite drink?
Water
When you're not at a computer, where are you most likely to be?
In my kitchen cooking or watching TV
Aside from your own, what's your favorite publication to read?
Vanity Fair.
What's the most common misperception about your beat?
That I get paid a lot of money for what I do.
