I'm a news reporter in Portland, Oregon. A montage of me saying dumb things on air hit the front page this week. Ask me anything!

Okay, that video was pretty funny. Serious question though: do you see yourself as an entertainer, a journalist, or both? Do you ever feel like you have a duty or responsibility to provide more enriching news content to viewers (rather than the tired local news tropes: sports, crime, and personal interest)?

Good and important question: 99% journalist, 1% dude on tv. If your only experience with me is that video, it would be easy to assume I'm just goofing off all the time. But that montage was two minutes out of hundreds of hours of work, the vast majority of the time I'm being serious because I'm talking about serious things. If I did nothing but say dumb things I'd be insufferable to work with. However whenever we have a moment where I can be silly while it's still tactful, or say something that will throw off my coworkers, I try to take it.

Have any of the higher ups given you shit for making jokes? Loved the video must be a very relaxed workplace!

They've all been great, I've never been told to tone it down. It is a pretty relaxed place. I get along with all my coworkers, which I think is pretty rare

What's a part of your job that people don't know about?

I put on my own makeup at 4 in the morning. I'm not good at it

At the bottom of your post right after you said "yes I really do eat oreos like that" and then your next line under that was "proof" I was really hoping to see 8 double stuffed oreos in a glass of milk. Great pic of you, but I was kinda disappointed not gonna lie. Anyway we could see that pls?

I would but I'm stuck in a car for foreseeable future. I'll pitch a story on Oreo consumption at the next editorial meeting

My new fetish will then forever be the bad boy of local news eating a soggy slop of double stuff Oreos out of a glass

New?

A couple questions from a colleague of mine named M. Scott:

1. Who do you think you are?

2. What gives you the right?

Brb moving to Costa Rica

How do you feel about the role of local news in the wake of the Sinclair revelations of late? What do you think we (and you) can do to make sure that the populace receives factual reporting when megacorporations can come through, buy up the licenses and talent, and decree from on high what they think the people should know?

(Also if I had to wake up that early, I'd want some jocularity with my morning coffee, so keep being awesome)

I'm going to answer this-- but I want to be thorough. I'm gonna answer some shorter ones and come back to it.

Nobody let me forget!

Edit: I've talked this over with my coworker Cole Miller, an outstanding reporter who is driving me right now, and we think our best answer is to keep pressing and hold your local journalists accountable. Accurate, thorough reporting should be demanded. And I hope people realize that with local news organizations, your voice really matters. We don't have millions of followers. We read what you say, and if you make good, rational points, it will affect decisions moving forward. Maybe don't write us a thesis, but definitely write us. And let people know when you think they've done a good job, too. Also definitely don't ever comment on what the women reporters are wearing.

Regarding corporatization, I think people would be surprised at how little corporate influence there is in our coverage. Of course I can't speak for Sinclair stations, but i personally have never had management at any level try to alter the tone or direction of my political reporting. Reporters at the Sinclair station in town have told me the same thing. Having said that, I personally think requiring stations to run commentary across the country with a definitive political slant has no place in journalism and I don't know a single journalist who disagrees with me.

Ultimately, everybody should double check where they're getting their information. Read things from all news levels, and read things from sources with stances you don't agree with. I think the beauty of the internet is that it allows you to learn from places and people you would have never previously experienced. I'm a much more empathetic person because of places like Reddit. But there's also so much media from so many different perspectives that if you aren't careful, you'll fall into a trap of simply seeking confirmation bias. Always be on guard against that. Just read a bunch. You'll be better for it.

When all of that fails I recommend you take 8 double stuf Oreos, put 'em in a glass, fill it up with milk and eat it with a spoon

Posting my edit as a reply: I've talked this over with my coworker Cole Miller, an outstanding reporter who is driving me right now, and we think our best answer is to keep pressing and hold your local journalists accountable. Accurate, thorough reporting should be demanded. And I hope people realize that with local news organizations, your voice really matters. We don't have millions of followers. We read what you say, and if you make good, rational points, it will affect decisions moving forward. Maybe don't write us a thesis, but definitely write us. And let people know when you think they've done a good job, too. Also definitely don't ever comment on what the women reporters are wearing.

Regarding corporatization, I think people would be surprised at how little corporate influence there is in our coverage. Of course I can't speak for Sinclair stations, but i personally have never had management at any level try to alter the tone or direction of my political reporting. Reporters at the Sinclair station in town have told me the same thing. Having said that, I personally think requiring stations to run commentary across the country with a definitive political slant has no place in journalism and I don't know a single journalist who disagrees with me.

Ultimately, everybody should double check where they're getting their information. Read things from all news levels, and read things from sources with stances you don't agree with. I think the beauty of the internet is that it allows you to learn from places and people you would have never previously experienced. I'm a much more empathetic person because of places like Reddit. But there's also so much media from so many different perspectives that if you aren't careful, you'll fall into a trap of simply seeking confirmation bias. Always be on guard against that. Just read a bunch. You'll be better for it.

When all of that fails I recommend you take 8 double stuf Oreos, put 'em in a glass, fill it up with milk and eat with a spoon

What is the context for that suspicious rock?

We were transitioning to weather out of a story about an increase in shark sightings on the Oregon coast. I thought that rock was suspiciously fin-like

Are you single? My boyfriend and I have a crush on you.

I'm in a committed relationship with a person named The Viewer

Is he French or something?

You're thinking of Le Viewer

What do your co-workers think of the video going viral?

Every time they see me they say "oh look who it is, the bad boy of local news". It's terrible

Come and hang out at /r/nba you hot little slut

I already do. Did you mean to post this in the Steve Kerr AMA?

So how do you see this Blazers-Pels series shaking out?

Blazers in 7, Lillard and Anthony Davis both go for 45 in the deciding game

Can your apartment building survive nuclear fallout?

Management said they'd get back to me

They just want to give a thorough answer. Don't let them forget!

I can't believe my comments have their own in-jokes. This whole thing is surreal

You seem like a fun person to work with! Do you guys need a meteorologist?

We actually are hiring for the morning meteorologist

Why do you look like THE cliche of Trevors?

I can report that Trevor actually LOLd at this one.

Confirmed, this got a laugh from the whole caravan on the road trip.

The actual answer is because I'm bound by the Trevor oath. We all get discounts at Sport Clips

How early do you have to get up in the morning?

The alarm goes off at 3:15

What time do you go to sleep at night then?

I try to get in bed by 8:30. I fail pretty frequently

Have you ever tried stand up? I used to work with a couple reporters who were constantly cracking me up. I thought they would be perfect on SNL.

I havent, but I'm a huge comedy fan. If I had a regular person's schedule I would definitely try improv because a lot of my job is ad libbing. My friend who posted the video is an outstanding improviser and I get green with jealous rage watching him perform

Who are your top 3 stand up comedians?

John Mulaney, Rory Scovel, Norm MacDonald

Do you have any funny stories from Vikings training camp?

It was in lovely Mankato, Minnesota, and I got there before camp and had time to kill. One night I went to a townie bar and joined a trivia team, and we ended up winning the prize. Which was.... Adult-themed. And designed for men. I took it back to my hotel room and threw it in the trash. The next morning the person who cleaned my room must have assumed I made a mistake, and took the "prize" out of the trash and placed it on the table

Where are you going on your road trip?

Vancouver! We have nothing planned, what should we do?

When did you first try eating Oreos that way? Can we see a video of you eating Oreos?

My favorite part of the comments was the analysis of the Oreo technique. My brother and I used to eat them with a spoon in a giant mug filled with milk, we came up with the clever title of "Oreo cookies chopped in milk". I would do that literally every day after school. One commenter said they called it Oreo Sludge, I really like that

Portland native here.

What’s your favorite food/drink spot that’s off the beaten path or not that popular?

It's a legendary Portland spot but I love the fried chicken at Reel M Inn. It's the grungiest dive bar and they only ever have one person working, so even if you're the only customer your food is gonna take 45 minutes to make. When I'm there I feel like I have to drink bottled Budweiser just because it fits the vibe

Are you originally from Oregon? I feel like most people I know that ended up reporting the news had to move cities and often moved states.

This is the weirdest answer-- my hometown is Oregon, Ohio. Spelled the same, pronounced the way people mispronounce the state. Or-ee-gahn. Then I moved to Or-again

"I have many many questions, but I also don't really want to talk to anyone." is my new favorite quote. Context?

This was about flat earthers, I think because rapper B.O.B. said he was one. One of the anchors asked how anybody could think that. In context my sentence ended with "who believes the earth is flat"

You seem really young, how did you get the job?

I think news in general is skewing younger these days, for a number of reasons (more work, stagnant wages). It's easier to climb when you do mornings, just because very few people want to wake up at 3 am. Part of my hiring was for versatility, I can bounce between the on-air roles. Having said that, I've also been told I look a lot younger than I actually am

You already know the answer to this. How do all these douchebags get their jobs? Merit? Education? No, his Daddy knows somebody.

This guy is right. It was not my Master's degree in broadcast journalism, it was my powerful dad in Toledo, Ohio using his Portland connections

Does Ken ever get tired of your shit? Like the matching tattoos comment. I thought the video was awesome wish we had more news personality like you keep on keeping on

Ken is great, he's one of the easiest laughs in the building. He's great to play off of because he's such a traditional news anchor, it balances me out

Super excited because I grew up in Portland and this is the first AMA that wasn’t posted hours ago.

Question: what’s the oddest report you had to make and did you enjoy reporting it or not?

Last year a barn in rural Oregon burned down. I was interviewing the neighbor who saw it, and it was fairly standard. We conclude every interview the same way: "Is there anything I haven't asked you about that's interesting?" The guy says a bunch of people had been at the barn lately because of some video game. As it turned out, this was the height of Pokemon Go, and that barn was a gym. So I then had to go up to the Fire Chief on scene and ask him, seriously, "Is this fire Pokemon Go related?" It was met with one of the more aggressive eye rolls I've seen.

I don't think it ended up being Pokemon Go related

Is it true that reporter Cole Miller and yourself have a longstanding rivalry?

Cole Miller is a scoundrel and I will not rest until he admits I have better hair.

He's also doing a great job driving us in the rain right now

All I can think when I watch your video is that you're secretly Jim from the Office. Are you secretly John Krasinski?

I've gotten this a few times and it is incredibly flattering. But I'm not John Krasinski, I don't have that much nuance in my facial expressions

Hello from Portland! I love what's going on at Koin 6! But now the important question: What's your favorite flavor of oreos?

Double Stuf are the only kind that matter imo

What is the most awkward thing that's happened to you on air? Have you ever had to stammer through a newscast like that Boom Goes The Dynamite guy because you didn't know what was going on?

I have stammered a bunch, I've called people I was interviewing the wrong name, and an Atlas Moth laid an egg on my face live on the air: https://youtu.be/s4S-05ad7VY

Hey Trevor, /r/Portland mod here. Do you lurk on your hometown subreddit? What do you think of our wonderful, snarky, sometimes-dysfunctional-but-always-entertaining sub?

I believe everybody in Portland news lurks the subreddit, I definitely do. I even got an interview from a Reddit PM once. I like the sub, but as a Midwestern transplant who moved here two years ago they might partly blame me for destroying the culture

How long did it take you to make the video?

I had the idea about a year ago and would save anything where I said something weird, it's been a steady build

Hey Trevor! I’m interviewing to be a news producer after I graduate. From your perspective, what are some things producers do for you that help or hinder you while doing your job?

My most important tip is to own your mistakes. You are going to make a bunch of them, everybody does, especially me. And it's hard for a producer, because when you mess up, the on-air people are the ones that look bad. And some on-air people will react poorly to that. So know that it will be infinitely better for you and your co-workers if you let them know you know you messed up, you're sorry, and it won't happen again. (It will happen again, but they won't be as mad for a while)

Favorite kind of ketchup?

Blended with hot sauce

Are you a weather guy? A sports guy? Why are you mostly standing when doing your repartee?

My regular job is as the "breaking news anchor", we have our two anchors Jenny and Ken and I'm running around the studio with whatever is new. On lighter stories the producer will put "3 shot ad lib" at the end of the script, which is the shot featured the most in the video, and I have the green light to say whatever I want. The rest of my day I head out to report, but I also fill in as anchor, or traffic, or sports, or weather. That's why there's so many different looks

If you’re running around with whatever is new, wouldn’t that mean you’ve got all of the news?

I've made that argument to management and it fell on deaf ears

I’m a production assistant for a CBS/NBC affiliate down in Northern California, I’m curious: what does the talent really think of PA’s?

As long as you're not sleeping, you're fine. Any "talent" (I hate that term) that's rude to the PAs doesn't deserve their job. We have automated cameras here at KOIN, I really miss having people in the studio behind the scenes. It's easier to have energy when they're there

What do you think of your sister's boyfriend?

I think he's a fool for revealing his Reddit username to his girlfriend's older brother

Most of anything I post is pretty pg, or else my name wouldn't be on here.

Same tbh

Why is the Sub Pop logo on your desk upside down? Also, what is your favourite band?

I'll have to ask my producer Amanda, that's her desk. I think I'd give the favorite band title to The National, I'll be seeing them for the first time at their Homecoming festival in Cincinnati in a couple weeks, then again at Sasquatch

(Shout-out to /r/indieheads, that's one of my favorite subreddits)

What ever happened with that car?

Sources confirm it's still blowing through stop signs to this day

Hey Trevor! I'm a digital news producer in a 130s DMA. What would your advice be for moving into a larger market?

Apply everywhere all the time, even in jobs that you think you aren't qualified for, or for jobs that other people say you aren't qualified for. It only takes one person saying yes to move up

Have you considered a career in radio?

This is broadcast code for "you're ugly, Trevor"

Some words about RAJNEESHPURAM ?

I haven't watched Wild Wild Country yet but I'm planning on it. There are a bunch of clips of my anchor Ken Boddie reporting on it when it happened, he's rocking a great moustache. And my friend's Dad was a prosecutor in the case, he's in it too. What I'm saying is I'm a bad coworker and friend for not watching it yet

What is Carly Kennelly like off camera? I have the biggest crush her ❤️

She's nice! Her schedule is crazy, she only sleeps like 4 hours a night and it doesn't phase her. Actually it's concerning

Do some people have a problem with your reporting style at the station?

I don't think so? Nobody's complained. The video might make it seem like all I do is mock the show, that would be insufferable if it were actually the cae. In reality I'm serious the vast majority of the time because I'm covering legitimate, important stuff. That said, I'll take every chance to make fun of myself being on tv because just about every day I think about how it's crazy I'm allowed on tv

Do you know how AMA's work ? They ask questions and then ( the important part ), you answer them.

Good tip, I'll give it a shot