Vincent Schilling
Verified
(He/Him)
As seen in:
Native Viewpoint,
CANTO TALK RADIO SHOW (Podcast),
Aol,
NBC News,
MDPI,
Rotten Tomatoes,
The History Channel,
KAMU-FM (College Station, TX),
Truthout,
The Virginian-Pilot,
Daily Press (Newport News, VA)
and
Covers:
Native American Issues and Viewpoints, Rotten Tomatoes Certified Critic Film Reviews, Technology, Arts and Entertainment
Akwesasne Mohawk Author, Journalist, Speaker & @RottenTomatoes critic.
❤️ Wife @DelSchilling ❤️
Founder, Editor @NativeViewpoint | Vincent@NativeViewpoint.com
Interview
What was your first job as a journalist?
Following the Golden Eagles Hotshots into the burning forests of North Carolina.
Have you ever used a typewriter?
Yes in high school.
How is social media changing news?
Social Media is the news. News is a supplemental source whether we want to admit it or not.
Who's your favorite fictional journalist?
Eddie Brock (aka Venom)
What does it mean to be a journalist?
I am the story teller of today - what an amazing honor. I cherish what I can do.
What's the funniest news-related #hashtag you've seen?
How do you prefer to be pitched on stories?
Email an idea, with a clear headline (shows where you want to go) with a few sentences. I can tell by the headline if you are on track.
What tools and software do you use to do your job?
My laptop, WordPress, Adobe Creative Cloud to include Photoshop and Premiere Pro and others, OBS
What's your favorite social network?
Twitter - but TikTok is growing on me.
Who do you wish followed you?
My grandmother, who died many years ago, I'd ask her everything I never learned from her, including my Mohawk language & songs first-hand.
Why did you become a journalist?
To give a voice to the voiceless, especially as a Native journalist.
Did you work for your high school newspaper? If so, what did you do there?
No - not until I was an adult.
What story are you most proud of writing or working on?
My unveiling of the truth regarding Pocahontas, the genocidal Christopher Columbus, & 100 years of cultural appropriation of the Boy Scouts.
What advice can you offer to aspiring journalists?
Less is usually more. Reread your pitches twice, a first impression is everything. Read the publication you are submitting to first.
When's the best time to pitch you?
Anytime via email
What's the best pitch you ever got?
The times journalists send me a headline, supporting sentences and a photo. A clear message is a great influencer to publish.
What's the worst pitch you ever got?
Long aimless emails with little direction. A busy journalist cannot afford the time to read a novel without a reason first.
What's your favorite drink?
Earl Grey with agave.
When you're not at a computer, where are you most likely to be?
Spending time with my wife Delores.
Aside from your own, what's your favorite publication to read?
Any publication that focuses on diversity or underrepresented communities
What's the most common misperception about your beat?
All Native Americans are the same culturally, spiritually and tradition-wise in terms of language and lifestyles.
Would you like to take the Muck Rack Interview?
Create a Muck Rack profile.