What was your first job as a journalist?
Did a piece for Time.com/money
Have you ever used a typewriter?
No.
How is social media changing news?
News are now bite-sized, conveyed through niches, recommended by social networks and sadly often not even rigorously checked.
Who's your favorite fictional journalist?
Charles Foster Kane.
What does it mean to be a journalist?
It means taking no bullshit from anyone and seeing through people and situations. It means having a strong gut and teeth to get to the truth.
What's the funniest news-related #hashtag you've seen?
How do you prefer to be pitched on stories?
Directly, by email or phone. Subject matter has something to do with my background, previous writing or particular interest to me.
What tools and software do you use to do your job?
Word, PPT.
What's your favorite social network?
LinkedIN
Who do you wish followed you?
Leon Wieseltier, Gary Kasparov
Why did you become a journalist?
Desire for unvarnished truth and a measure of justice, no-bullshit approach to getting things done.
Did you work for your high school newspaper? If so, what did you do there?
No, I did not. The writing started in college.
What story are you most proud of writing or working on?
What advice can you offer to aspiring journalists?
Read constantly, write daily, live fully, improve by learning from the best. Have no fear - either of subject matter or failure.
When's the best time to pitch you?
M-F, 9-5.
What's the best pitch you ever got?
Tell me how you've overcome failure and adversity in your life.
What's the worst pitch you ever got?
365 Healthy Recipes for the New Year.
What's your favorite drink?
A sidecar. Otherwise, a nice single-malt or bourbon, neat.
When you're not at a computer, where are you most likely to be?
Out talking to people to hear their stories or writing in a favorite coffee shop.
Aside from your own, what's your favorite publication to read?
The New Yorker
What's the most common misperception about your beat?
It's all gravy, when it's really a grind.
