Daily Inspiration: Meet Christina Fuoco

Today we’d like to introduce you to Christina Fuoco.

Hi Christina, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
Journalism piqued my interest while living in suburban Detroit, where my mother worked for a group of newspapers. When she headed to work on weekends to catch up, she brought me to the office. To keep me occupied, she gave me reporters’ notebooks to doodle in. Instead, I went down to the newsroom and took notes on the reporters. (I was probably about 10 or 11.)

Once we returned home, I knocked on neighbors’ doors and caught up with their lives. Journalism was the perfect fit.

After graduating from Oakland University in Rochester Hills, Michigan, in 1990, I interned with the Daily Tribune/Macomb Daily. During that time, the music editor wanted to change beats, so I was asked to write about music. (I think it’s because I was so young.) Since then, I’ve been lucky enough to write for RollingStone.com, Billboard, MTV and People.

My career has been amazing. I have been afforded the chance to interview everyone on my bucket list, including The Edge, Keith Richards, Taylor Swift, Metallica, Fall Out Boy and Linda McCartney. On another note, I recently met David Duchovny and David Archuleta, whom I adore. Michelle Obama and Michael Longfellow formerly of “SNL,” were joys as well.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
No, it hasn’t been a smooth road. My first internship was with Olympia Entertainment at Joe Louis Arena, which housed the Detroit Red Wings. One of my projects was to help renovate the Fox Theatre in Detroit.
Afterward, I wrote for the home team’s magazine/program. It was a little tricky as the pro athletes didn’t take women seriously–at first. It was frustrating and embarrassing.
In the early 1990s, sexism was prevalent. One fellow copy editor made a very lewd comment to me, and he was terminated.
I also covered music and was frequently asked if I was a groupie when I had my notebook in my hand. Men wouldn’t certainly ask other men that!
I moved to Arizona to be with my mom and my father, the latter of whom had a heart transplant, because I just had this bad feeling. I moved there around Thanksgiving of 2002, and he died Jan. 29, 2003. We just always had that bond. When my dad was awaiting his heart transplant, my then-boyfriend and I were at his company’s Christmas party. I asked him to remind me to check my “pager,” because I had this feeling he would get his heart that night. At 10:10 p.m., the 911 text came through.
I took a break from the journalism world for about a year, then spent 15 years at the Times Media Group, most recently as an executive editor.
I spent my 40s and 50s so deeply immersed in my career that I didn’t have time for a private life.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
My “specialty” is writing about music, lifestyle features, and sports. I’ve interviewed the D-backs many times. Although those are my favorite topics, I’m most proud of the Donor Champion Award that I won for my extensive research and feature stories about organ transplant patients. As for stories, my favorites are “How the Diamondbacks Met Their Wives,” a Valentine’s Day feature; and a news-feature about a former Hamas captive and his VR project.

We’d love to hear about how you think about risk taking?
I have taken quite a few “risks,” maybe?
It bears repeating that during my first internship, the music reporter decided he no longer wanted that beat. I put my hat in the ring–a young 20-year-old–and was chosen. Subsequently, I was at a small Tim McGraw concert (The 7th House in Pontiac, Michigan)–with probably about 300 people–and someone near the front pepper-sprayed him. I thought that was a national story, so I blindly reached out to Billboard magazine. They ran the story on their website. That led to other assignments. I could go on. The adage “you’ll never know until you try” is so true.

Pricing:

• Freelance pricing is negotiable

Contact Info:

• Website: https://christinafuoco.com
• Instagram: @christinafuocokarasinski
• Facebook: Christina Fuoco-Karasinski
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christina-fuoco-karasinski-61ab56135/

Image Credits
(Christina Fuoco Karasinski/Submitted)