Welcome back to our Meet the Media series! This week, we’re spotlighting Corinne Whiting, a Pacific Northwest-based freelance travel writer and photographer. With work appearing in publications such as National Geographic Traveler, Alaska Airlines’ Alaska Beyond Magazine, and Amtrak’s Arrive Magazine, Corinne’s stories have traveled almost as much as she has! Get to know Corinne a bit more below – and follow her adventures by visiting one of the blogs she publishes at, Seattleite, find her on Instagram at @travelcorx or reach out to her directly at corinnewhiting@gmail.com.
How did you find yourself in your current job?
I’ve wanted to write since kindergarten, and I was incredibly fortunate to get exposed to the beautiful world of traveling from a very young age. I worked on staff for a magazine in DC (where I’m from) for five years before relocating to Seattle nine years ago. When I moved west, I decided to take the leap into freelance life. Although it’s certainly not always an easy journey, I haven’t looked back.
Which of your stories are you most proud of?
The most recent ones coming to mind: a few I wrote about my incredible, week-long experience hiking BC’s West Coast Trail, profiles I’ve written about fascinating PNW locals (like the Space Needle’s “head glass keeper”) and one I wrote this fall for The Seattle Times about couples who, due to COVID, pulled off adventure elopements instead of the intricate weddings they had planned.
What is your favorite thing about your job?
Traveling around our beautiful region, country and globe. Having an insider’s, behind-the-scenes glimpse into fascinating places and characters. Learning people’s stories and meeting folks who are passionate about the most obscure topics–things that make them tick.
What is your interview style?
Casual, organic, hopefully engaging.
What do you look for in a story?
Stories that lift people up and put positivity out into the world or tell a story that’s never been told before. Also, something that lets me stay true to myself and learn something new along the way.
What is your day like at your job?
It varies wildly! It depends whether I’m in the pitching stage, researching stage, interviewing stage, writing stage, harried-deadline stage or editing stage. It’s also very different (and more stationary!) during 2020 than in years past.
Who do you most look up to in the journalism industry?
Pico Iyer, Lisa Ling, Christiane Amanpour, Trevor Noah.
What is your favorite news outlet?
I like gleaning what I can from a huge sampling—NPR, BBC, New York Times, CNN, Washington Post, The Seattle Times and more.
Fill in the blank:
- If I am not working, I am…pre-pandemic: traveling to see new places and the people I love, pandemic: going on long neighborhood walks and Zooming with said people from home. Pre-pandemic: seeing live music, pandemic: listening to KEXP and streaming online shows at home!
- If I could interview anyone, it would be…Pico Iyer, Oprah Winfrey, Dolly Parton, Jane Goodall
- My favorite thing about Seattle is…the natural beauty we’re surrounded by–especially all of the water!
What is your guilty pleasure?
So-bad-they’re-good Hallmark Christmas movies, airport lounges and Theo chocolate.
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