What was your first job as a journalist?
Writing stories for the HuntingtonNews.Net in Huntington, West Virginia.
Have you ever used a typewriter?
Yes, as well as a word processor.
How is social media changing news?
For the worse.
Who's your favorite fictional journalist?
EK Hornbeck in Inherit the Wind.
What does it mean to be a journalist?
To be constantly afraid of being wrong.
What's the funniest news-related #hashtag you've seen?
I don't really do hashtags.
How do you prefer to be pitched on stories?
With a fully-formed lead by email.
What tools and software do you use to do your job?
A PC, and whatever bits of the Adobe Suite I can get.
What's your favorite social network?
Twitter
Who do you wish followed you?
Anna Fifield in Beijing is quite good lately. In SEA, I like Phil Robertson right now for his work with the Rahaf debacle.
Why did you become a journalist?
Because I thought the world had heroes in it. I thought I could find one. Still looking.
Did you work for your high school newspaper? If so, what did you do there?
Didn't have one.
What story are you most proud of writing or working on?
Hong Kong during the Umbrella Revolution.
What advice can you offer to aspiring journalists?
Travel.
When's the best time to pitch you?
All day.
What's the best pitch you ever got?
An interview with a super-detective that judges people by their shoe prints.
What's the worst pitch you ever got?
And I quote: "Fine a**hole! You tell me whut to right than!"
What's your favorite drink?
For the price, a Tullamore Dew on ice, or a Talisker Dark Storm to celebrate.
When you're not at a computer, where are you most likely to be?
The pub.
Aside from your own, what's your favorite publication to read?
The New York Times
What's the most common misperception about your beat?
That I constantly travel.
