Robinson: "If You Know You Can Do It, Do It."

WHAT DID YOU THINK OF TODAY'S GUEST, Dorothy Robinson, Deputy Features Editor at the Metro US newspapers?

Here's what stood out for me:

- She is the fourth generation newspaper person in her family.
- She wanted to be a writer, so after college, she took a job as an editorial assistant at a book publishing house.
- She said that being an editorial assistant is a great way to launch a career.
- She now writes about celebrities a lot.
- The Metro US distributes 1 million copies in Philly, Boston and NYC.
- She said that celebrities are trained by public relations people and they rarely stray off-topic (i.e. they won't tell you about cheating on their spouses or anything).
- Publicists control everything you read about celebrities.
- She doesn't get nervous when talking to celebs, unless they're really good-looking.
- She considers herself a cheerleader of sorts. She tries to write about young people doing cool stuff.
- She said that dating was like a job interview for sex. Then she wrote a book about it.
- She hates the pink cover. Too girlie.
- She takes junkets ("I'm writing 300 words for the Metro," she said. "It doesn't influence anything I write.").
- She said you'd be surprised who else accepts the junkets.
- She thinks celebrity sex tapes are PR stunts.
- She said it wasn't easy becoming an editor. She worked a ton, lived in a dangerous neighborhood, had no money and then got lucky.
- She survived because she was confident she could do reach her goals.

What stood out for you?