Interview
What was your first job as a journalist?
I was an intern for Willamette Week.
Have you ever used a typewriter?
Yes, I even visited a typewriter shop in Scotland!
How is social media changing news?
It's allowing for faster breaking news, but isn't replacing in depth journalism.
Who's your favorite fictional journalist?
Kurt Vonnegut.
What does it mean to be a journalist?
It means that you provide accurate, new information to the public.
What's the funniest news-related #hashtag you've seen?
Do people still use hashtags?
How do you prefer to be pitched on stories?
Via email, that way I won't forget the details!
What tools and software do you use to do your job?
Google Docs, pen and paper, caffeine
What's your favorite social network?
Reddit, unfortunately.
Who do you wish followed you?
Weird Al.
Why did you become a journalist?
To tell the stories of passionate people.
Did you work for your high school newspaper? If so, what did you do there?
I did. I held multiple editor positions.
What story are you most proud of writing or working on?
My feature on world class guitarist T Bone Burnett provided a lot of new info on a musician who's be in the spotlight for decades.
What advice can you offer to aspiring journalists?
Be respectfully consistent.
When's the best time to pitch you?
Anytime! I'm not particular and I love emails.
What's the best pitch you ever got?
Anytime a manger sends me a pitch about somebody I already know, that's the best pitch. Because then I'm prepared in advance.
What's the worst pitch you ever got?
This question just seems mean!
What's your favorite drink?
Dr. Pepper.
When you're not at a computer, where are you most likely to be?
Playing guitar.
Aside from your own, what's your favorite publication to read?
The Seattle Times.
What's the most common misperception about your beat?
That we like to invade in people's personal lives, probably
Would you like to take the Muck Rack Interview?
Create a Muck Rack profile.