The FishbowlDC Interview With <em>Politico's</em> Keach Hagey

Say hello to Politico's media writer Keach Hagey, a native of Evansville, Ind. She came to Washington from The National newspaper in Abu Dhabi, where she was covering the business of media in the Middle East. Previously she wrote for CBS.com and the Village Voice. We wouldn't have guessed this, but she prefers the cuss word, "motherfucker" as well as the word, "pork." Well done. Read on. If you were a carbonated beverage which would you be? Ginger beer How often do you Google yourself? Occasionally. What’s the worst thing you’ve ever said to an editor (or vice versa) “I can’t cover that zoning board meeting tonight because I have band practice.” Who is your favorite working journalist? William T. Vollman Do you have a favorite word? Pork. I don’t eat it, but I like to say it. I just think it’s a well-constructed group of letters, in the same way that Drew Barrymore’s character in “Donnie Darko” likes the words “cellar door.” Who would you rather have dinner with – First Lady Michelle Obama or Bestselling Author and former V.P. candidate Sarah Palin? Palin. What’s the name of your cell phone ring? The fake old timey phone sound that comes on the Blackberry. When did you last cry and why? Three days ago, while watching “Out of Africa” for the first time. So embarrassing. What word do you routinely misspell? Across. What swear word do you use most often? Motherfucker. What word or phrase do you overuse? See above. What TV show do you have to watch? True Blood. Where do you shop most often for your clothes? Beacon’s Closet. Whom do you prefer for daytime talk, Dr. Phil, Ellen, Oprah, Tyra or the women of The View? The View. Barbara Walters has no peer. Pick one: Leno, Letterman or Conan? Letterman. If you were trapped on a deserted island, which public official would you want to be trapped with and why? Haley Barbour, assuming he brings his whiskey. Who is your mentor? Wayne Barrett, Dave Blum, Michelle Johnson What’s the best advice you ever received in the course of your career? Don’t take no for an answer. Read more about Keach after the jump... What and where was your first job in journalism? General assignment reporter for the Queens Chronicle. What’s your most embarrassing career moment? When I left my job at Greenwich Time, a colleague told me the first selectman (what they have in Connecticut instead of mayors) said he was sorry to see me go because I had some great short skirts. Which one interview of your career did you enjoy most? Mikhail Gorbachev Which one interview of your career did you enjoy least? Liz Mohn, the widow of Reinhard Mohn, who owned Bertelsmann. I had done all this research and made all these big promises to my editor, but when I got in there, the language barrier was just too vast. I didn’t get one usable quote. What’s the biggest scoop you’ve ever had? Getting Rupert Murdoch to explain that News Corp gave $1 million to the Republican Governor’s Association because of his friendship with John Kasich, who was running for governor of Ohio at the time, and then listening to his shareholders grill him for it a few weeks later. When and why did you last laugh so hard you had tears in your eyes? The last time my husband and I gave our dog a bath. He hates it, and his attempts at escape are always highly comedic – especially when they are successful. When and why did you last lose your temper? About a year ago, on the road from Abu Dhabi to Dubai. Emiratis are complete maniacs behind the wheel. Which movie title best describes your journalism career? "A Hard Day’s Night" Who would you want to play you in a movie? Winona Ryder. Seems like she could use the work these days, “Black Swan” notwithstanding. Name some jobs you've had outside of journalism. (Can start as young as teenage years): Cleaning lady, bar maid, waitress. Finally, please come up for a question for our next FishbowlDC interviewee. Make it good. Who should just call it a day? Photo credit: Robin Holland.

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The FishbowlDC Interview With Politico's Keach Hagey

Betsy Rothstein

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