Whitney Bryen
Verified
(She/Her)
As seen in:
InvestigateWest,
The Independent (UK),
The Washington Post,
Yahoo Canada,
Yahoo News,
PBS Frontline,
Associated Press,
SFGate,
The Toronto Star,
Chron,
Flipboard
and
Covers:
Injustice and vulnerable populations in the Pacific Northwest, including criminal justice, addiction, homelessness, children's mental health and poverty.
Injustice and Vulnerable Populations reporter for @investigatewest. Holding power to account and lifting marginalized voices. Send tips to whitney@invw.org.
Interview
What was your first job as a journalist?
I wrote for the Noble Free Press in Noble, Okla., a twice-monthly paper that was funded, written, edited and published by one man.
Have you ever used a typewriter?
Not since I was in elementary school. But I see them at antique stores a lot.
How is social media changing news?
In so many ways, but I love that anyone with access to internet can have a voice.
Who's your favorite fictional journalist?
Becky Fuller in "Morning Glory," because she is young, driven, energetic and understands the value in positive, entertaining news.
How do you prefer to be pitched on stories?
The medium doesn't matter. I'm looking for a brief summary of what you're pitching and why my readers care.
What tools and software do you use to do your job?
My smartphone, a notepad and a pen.
What's your favorite social network?
Instagram. It puts the focus completely on the visual and has a strong niche.
Why did you become a journalist?
Everyone has a story and I want to tell it.
What story are you most proud of writing or working on?
The ones other journalists brushed off.
What advice can you offer to aspiring journalists?
Take the stories other journalists turn their noses up at. Embrace the hand you're dealt.
When's the best time to pitch you?
On a Monday morning.
When you're not at a computer, where are you most likely to be?
In the mountains.
Would you like to take the Muck Rack Interview?
Create a Muck Rack profile.