Welcome to My World: An Interview with Jake Dirr
Author:
September 2007
Jake, what is your current role at the Dayton Business Journal? What industries do you cover?
I’m a staff reporter. I cover technology, the defense industry and Wright-Patterson Air Force Base.
What background led to you being in that role?
I used to work at the Cincinnati Business Courier, writing mostly features, and as a general news reporter at the Cincinnati Enquirer.
I suppose my best background training was doing a variety of reporting in Cincinnati that taught me how to learn about a myriad of topics on the fly and present them in a smart way to the reader. I liked to say “I know a little about everything and a lot about nothing.”
Fortunately, I get the chance here to dig in to something for the first time.
What has been most interesting to you since your arrival in Dayton?
The amount of opportunity surrounding the area in terms of its involvement with the Air Force and all of its research and commercial applications. The Dayton region is on the cusp of becoming a hub of technological expertise, both inside and outside of military applications. It’s a great time to be reporting about it.
And to think: Dayton was just an hour away from me back in Cincinnati and I had no idea about all the innovation going on here.
How do you keep up to date with technology trends?
I talk to people every chance I get.
What kind of stories are you interested in doing over the next several months?
I’d like to write about all the exciting things cooking up in the Dayton area. It seems to me that everybody wants to team up with other companies and I’d like to be the town crier, so to speak, that helps everyone stay informed about what successes or capabilities exist in the area.
I’m not out to burn anyone and would much rather tell positive stories, or ones that elicit discussion, than doomsday stuff. I do believe in the “watchdog journalism,” but I like being a story teller, not a jerk.
What should people expect when you interview them?
Expect me to say, “Do you mind if I ask you one more question?” more than once. Maybe they could think of me an road trip passenger, I’m looking for a conversation not an inquisition. Sometimes I gesture wildly when talking in person and make puns that range from mediocre to poor.
