Zain Bando
Verified
(He/Him)
As seen in:
Medium,
FanNation,
Sports Illustrated,
FanSided,
Men's Journal,
Sporting News Canada,
Sporting News,
WGN-TV (Chicago, IL),
The News-Gazette (Champaign, IL),
Writing Illini
Covers:
College, professional, and combat sports.
Doesn't Cover:
Politics, News, Religion, etc.
Sports Writer | @sportingnews | RM Big Ten Writer & Editor | @UFCKnockout | @FieldLevelMedia UFC writer | 🎙️@bandosbreakdown podcast host | ILL/NU 🎓
Interview
What was your first job as a journalist?
FanSided MMA writer
Have you ever used a typewriter?
Nope
How is social media changing news?
Everything is instant and it’s crucial to stop and think about if the person who is reporting something is verified, etc
Who's your favorite fictional journalist?
Not sure
What does it mean to be a journalist?
It means a lot. Giving the people the news they desire is extremely important and I want every story to matter to someone
What's the funniest news-related #hashtag you've seen?
How do you prefer to be pitched on stories?
Email or Slack
What tools and software do you use to do your job?
Wordpress, Scorebox, Twitter, Instagram
What's your favorite social network?
Instagram
Who do you wish followed you?
Not sure
Why did you become a journalist?
I wanted to inform the public, tell great stories, and write about sports.
Did you work for your high school newspaper? If so, what did you do there?
Yes! I was one of two sports editors
What story are you most proud of writing or working on?
Covering Downers North girls’ volleyball and their state playoff run in 2017
What advice can you offer to aspiring journalists?
Be you, find a topic and go for it
When's the best time to pitch you?
Mid-afternoon
What's the best pitch you ever got?
Not sure
What's the worst pitch you ever got?
Not sure
What's your favorite drink?
Root beer
When you're not at a computer, where are you most likely to be?
In front of the TV consuming ESPN or the news
Aside from your own, what's your favorite publication to read?
MMAFighting
What's the most common misperception about your beat?
That it’s all about who wins and loses, and that there is more to life than a game
Would you like to take the Muck Rack Interview?
Create a Muck Rack profile.