What was your first job as a journalist?
First paid job? Writing reviews and doing interviews for RockFlash, a now-defunct free entertainment publication in Virginia Beach, VA.
Have you ever used a typewriter?
Yep. Even took Typing in high school.
How is social media changing news?
Negatively: news outlets are giving stories more sensational headlines to get more clicks, with topics being chosen for clicks over quality.
Who's your favorite fictional journalist?
Irwin Maurice Fletcher.
What does it mean to be a journalist?
It means to be responsible, ethical, and unafraid to take constructive criticism.
What's the funniest news-related #hashtag you've seen?
Maybe not ha-ha funny, but the repeated use of during the Trump / Clinton debate made me laugh.
How do you prefer to be pitched on stories?
By email. I try to only use the phone when I'm doing interviews. Otherwise, it distracts me from completing assignments in a timely fashion.
What tools and software do you use to do your job?
Desktop or laptop, Microsoft Office, a digital recorder, and the internet. That's about it, really.
What's your favorite social network?
Facebook.
Who do you wish followed you?
Rob Lowe. So I could send him a direct message on Twitter and say, "Please, can we finish this Random Roles soon? It's been three years!"
Why did you become a journalist?
Because I loved to write. Why did I become a pop culture journalist? Because I like writing *and* I like getting cool promo swag.
Did you work for your high school newspaper? If so, what did you do there?
I did. It was called The Bridge (at Great Bridge High School), and I wrote pop culture stuff, including my first record review.
What story are you most proud of writing or working on?
My oral history of Cop Rock. No, seriously. That, or my oral history of Johnny Hates Jazz's "Turn Back the Clock," which never ran.
What advice can you offer to aspiring journalists?
Be a journalist. Not a blogger. Not even a writer. A journalist. Show 'em you got skillz. Also, have a career backup plan. Seriously.
When's the best time to pitch you?
Between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. ET, after I've got some work done in the morning but before my daughter and wife get home.
What's the best pitch you ever got?
I was asked if I wanted to go on a junket to Belfast, Ireland to drink whiskey. "Yes, well, let me mull that one over for WHEN DO WE LEAVE?!"
What's the worst pitch you ever got?
It was suggested that, since I wrote for a male-centric site, I might want to write something about the popularity of Ashley Madison. Nope!
What's your favorite drink?
Bloody Mary.
When you're not at a computer, where are you most likely to be?
In front of the TV. What do you want from me? I'm a TV critic!
Aside from your own, what's your favorite publication to read?
Entertainment Weekly. (This still counts, because I've never written for the magazine, only the website.)
What's the most common misperception about your beat?
That it's just a matter of watching TV. Trust me, actually writing about TV often sucks the fun out of the viewing process.
