Tyler Andrews
Verified
(He/Him)
As seen in:
NC Sharp,
SAGE Publishing,
Axios,
WNCN-TV (Raleigh, NC),
WCNC-TV (Charlotte, NC),
KJTV-TV (Lubbock, TX),
Sports Media 101,
Play Michigan,
Play Pennsylvania,
PlayMA,
Play Texas
Covers:
I manage all online gambling content for Catena Media's regional sites, including PlayPennsylvania, PlayMichigan, PlayNJ, and PlayMissouri. I also play a fair amount of disc golf.
Doesn't Cover:
How to win money by gambling
I cover sports, sports law and the gambling industry for Catena Media. I also play a fair amount of disc golf.
Interview
What was your first job as a journalist?
If we're talking school, my first job was on my high school literary mag. I was EIC and our budget was $75. Lots of hand stapling.
Have you ever used a typewriter?
Yes. Long time ago. The last time I used one was actually as a prop in a high school play.
How is social media changing news?
It's a post-modern construct. It makes people more skeptical and "truths" spread like weeds.
Who's your favorite fictional journalist?
Probably Tintin. He's a good example of how far curiosity, and a great dog, can take you.
What does it mean to be a journalist?
To make people curious. I value inquiry, and good journalism should move people to curiosity and then to act on it.
What's the funniest news-related #hashtag you've seen?
I'm not a social media hound. That stuff's way off my radar.
How do you prefer to be pitched on stories?
Email, for sure.
What tools and software do you use to do your job?
MS Word, Canva, Google Search Console and Analytics, excel to organize ideas, a pen and a moleskin.
What's your favorite social network?
iNaturalist.
Who do you wish followed you?
Tom King. He's a comic book writer and ex-CIA. He writes some piercing stuff.
Why did you become a journalist?
I enjoy research and inquiry. I like asking questions. I like making people curious.
Did you work for your high school newspaper? If so, what did you do there?
Yes. See Q1. One thing I did to promote our lit mag was create skits for the morning announcements. Lots of song parodies. I can't sing.
What story are you most proud of writing or working on?
I interviewed high school teachers who teach responsible gambling programs. Their earnestness and care for their students was remarkable.
What advice can you offer to aspiring journalists?
Read good journalism. Write down questions from your reading. Practice answering them. Use social media; see what sticks. Don't be ironic.
When's the best time to pitch you?
Never a bad time. I usually respond to emails in the mornings or at the end of the workday.
What's the best pitch you ever got?
My first! I interviewed a man who ran a flight school, and he let me pilot a stunt plane. I did flips, corkscrews, got sick. It was great.
What's the worst pitch you ever got?
I had to interview a beach volleyball player but was instructed to talk mostly about her line of jute grocery bags.
What's your favorite drink?
Water, for sure. But that's boring. How about a cold pilsner.
When you're not at a computer, where are you most likely to be?
Running, playing disc golf, going to concerts with my wife, playing with my kids.
Aside from your own, what's your favorite publication to read?
aeon.co.
What's the most common misperception about your beat?
That I'm interested in teaching people how to win money gambling. OR, that I can tell you how to get rich betting on sports.
Would you like to take the Muck Rack Interview?
Create a Muck Rack profile.