What is your current job?
Author of Wake Up To Politics, a daily political newsletter now on Substack.
What was your first byline?
I’ve been writing Wake Up To Politics in some form since I was nine years old. But, outside of that, my first bylines — and my first print bylines, which meant a lot to me — were through my high school newspaper, The World. I loved writing and editing for my school paper and (at least in our heads) holding the school administration’s feet to the fire.
One of my favorite pieces from that time was editorializing against a (doomed) local transportation project, the Loop Trolley, which I dubbed the “Loop Folly.” I also wrote a fun piece during the 2020 primaries about our school principal having taught Beto O’Rourke when he was in high school (and about his recollections of Beto being very different than his public persona now).
What was your first real job in journalism?
I guess it depends how you define “real,” but I started the newsletter as a hobby at nine years old and it’s slowly turned into a “real job” over time. The first time I was paid for journalism outside of the newsletter was when I hosted a podcast for St. Louis Public Radio during the 2020 election cycle.
How did you get it?
The very earliest iteration of Wake Up To Politics started because I was really young and really passionate about politics and, in the mornings, I’d excitedly try to tell my mom about everything I was reading about in the news. Well, one day, she said “I have to get to work. Just put this in an email!” So I did. Everything else — the podcast, other freelance opportunities I’ve had, the newsletter as it is now — flowed from that. Samantha Bee’s show once interviewed me and they jokingly asked if I “started a newsletter because my mom didn’t want to talk to me.” I love my mom, but that was a little bit true ... although I’m grateful she told me to start emailing!
What advice do you have for people looking to break into journalism?
Students write me all the time asking for advice about breaking into the industry and I always tell them the same thing: Just start something. There are so many tools out there now that let you create and disseminate journalism yourself — whether you want to get into audio, video, or writing. Does that mean you will immediately develop a large audience? Maybe not. But if you work at it, it truly is possible. And even if your project doesn’t make it big — that sort of experience will be invaluable.
News outlets are always looking for enterprising, entrepreneurial reporters, and there’s no better way to prove to them you have those qualities than by starting something of your own and working really hard to grow it. Starting as an independent reporter forces you to look around corners and always be focused on proving your worth and finding the stories that will set your outlet apart and make it unique. It will also make sure you develop a really strong work ethic: if you make sure to publish on a consistent cadence (every day, every week, every month, etc.) it will not only build a familiar rhythm with your audience, it also forces you to work on improving your craft on a regular basis.
Independent outlets are also being taken seriously now more than ever. There’s been no better time when it’s been easier to throw your hat in the ring and start giving yourself the practice you need to establish yourself as a “real” journalist.