Staff Q&As: Meet social media guru Buffy Andrews
To help you get to know our newsroom staff a bit better, a series of question-and-answer posts with each journalist will run on Mondays. This morning, meet Buffy Andrews, our assistant managing editor of features and niche publications and social media coordinator. You’ve seen her posts on newspaper features and the cool features on Buffy’s World, along with a guest post from Steve Buttry, director of community engagement & social media for Journal Register Co.
Name: Buffy Andrews
Lives in: Manchester Township
Hometown: Manchester
Position at the YDR: Assistant Managing Editor of Features and Niche Publications, Social Media Coordinator
Years with the YDR: 11 years
Graduated from: Shippensburg University
With a degree in: BA in Journalism
Email: buffy@ydr.com
My blogs: Buffy’s Write Zone, Buffy’s World
Contribute to the following blogs: YDR Insider, Smart
Twitter: @Buffyandrews, @Grandma_Dorothy
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/buffy.andrews
Linkedin: http://www.linkedin.com/in/buffyandrews
Google+: https://plus.google.com/#s/buffy%20andrews
Ning site: https://Inkwell.ning.com
Also: You will also find me on many other platforms. Just search for “Buffy Andrews”
1. What made you want to become a journalist? I love learning and enjoy meeting people. Plus, I’m uber curious about everything. I was the type of kid who couldn’t stop asking questions. I needed to know how something happened or why something worked or didn’t work. That hasn’t changed. And I believe in the fourth estate and our watchdog function and guardian of public interest role.
2. How do you see journalism changing? We are in a constant state of change in which we are delivering news and information to lots of different people in lots of different ways. This will continue as technology evolves and changes the way we report, write and disseminate the news and information. Isaac Asimov said “The only constant is change.” That dude was so right! But, change is good. It keeps us challenged and alert and makes us better.
3. What do you like most about your job? Mentoring reporters and editors, helping them to do the best work of their lives. The least? Listening to people complain that we never print anything positive in the paper.
4. It’s 9:30 a.m. on a day off. What are you doing? Sleeping!
5. What’s been your favorite project or story recently? Why? My favorite project outside of work as been completing my newest young adult novel, The Moment Keeper. My agent tweeted… “oh my…this is the best you’ve ever, ever done – watch out world and here’s to the memories!” …. Which totally made my day! I loved writing this novel and it’s theme of redemption.
6. The drink that’s on your desk right now is: Coffee, of course
7. Your favorite journalism-related blog you read or Twitter feed you follow: Too many to mention! OK, I’ll mention a couple. Steve Buttry’s The Buttry Diary and John Paton’s Digital First, blogs. Also, I like these websites: Poynter, Newseum
8. What’s the last movie you saw in theaters? The Ides of March. The last book you read? The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
9. What’s your favorite place in York County? Home
10. What’s one piece of newsroom jargon that had to be explained to you? I don’t really remember any jargon that needed to be explained, but I remember I needed to be shown what a proportion wheel was and how to use that dang thing. It’s what we used to size photos, either making them smaller or larger. I think I still have mine — somewhere. The percentages never seemed to come out right!