What was your first job as a journalist?
Writing about local news in Marin County for Patch.com (RIP).
Have you ever used a typewriter?
Sadly no, but I have my mother's in storage and plan to get it refurbished someday.
How is social media changing news?
We get it more frequently, which is great, but the vetting process is all but extinct, which is dangerous. Trusted sources are at a premium.
Who's your favorite fictional journalist?
Kent Brockman
What does it mean to be a journalist?
To convey the truth without bias and report the stories that need to be told.
What's the funniest news-related #hashtag you've seen?
They're all terrible.
How do you prefer to be pitched on stories?
With as much lead time as possible.
What tools and software do you use to do your job?
Google Voice, TapeaCall for iPhone, and otranscribe.com are my best buds.
What's your favorite social network?
I guess it's Twitter but they all have severe and undeniable shortcomings.
Who do you wish followed you?
The only validation I seek is a "like" from Paul F. Tompkins.
Why did you become a journalist?
It's the medium that reflects my voice most honestly and the profession where I have the most to offer.
Did you work for your high school newspaper? If so, what did you do there?
I didn't! I wrote some awful short stories in high school but I wasn't bitten by the journalism bug until after I'd graduated college.
What story are you most proud of writing or working on?
Changes every time I hit "send."
What advice can you offer to aspiring journalists?
Nothing gets published if you don't pitch it.
When's the best time to pitch you?
As far in advance of the event/album/desired publication date as possible.
What's the best pitch you ever got?
Well I'm the one making the pitches so the ones were an editor said "yes."
What's the worst pitch you ever got?
"Please write this thing for free!"
What's your favorite drink?
Old Fashioned with Bulleit
When you're not at a computer, where are you most likely to be?
Chomping popcorn at the back of the Castro Theatre, hiking somewhere quiet in Marin County, or madly rushing to get to a concert on time.
Aside from your own, what's your favorite publication to read?
Atlas Obscura
What's the most common misperception about your beat?
That I have time to listen to everything and know all the music out there.
