Marjorie Miller is the Associated Press regional editor for Latin America and the Caribbean, based in Mexico City. Before moderating a discussion on whether the Cuban Revolution failed, she offered up her best advice for aspiring journalists in the Zócalo green room.
What do you eat for breakfast?
Coffee.
What’s the last habit you tried to kick?
I haven’t tried to kick a habit. [Laughs.] Why would I do a thing like that?
What’s your favorite thing about Los Angeles?
My family.
What’s the strangest job you’ve ever had?
I worked in a toy store.
What’s on your nightstand right now?
Books and glasses and water and an alarm clock. Very uncreative things.
What relaxes you?
A massage. A glass of wine. Good conversation.
What’s your favorite condiment?
Cumin.
What advice do you give to aspiring journalists?
Look at every issue with open eyes, and don’t try to fit facts into a preconceived idea of what’s happening. Instead, go into any situation to try to understand what’s happening based on the facts.
If you had one more hour in the day, what would you do with it?
Realistically, I’d fill it up with crap. What I’d like to do is read more.
Whom or what do you root for?
The future of journalism.