(First impressions matter so let’s pretend I just gave you an outstanding handshake.)
I’m Andrew Valentine Pestano and I’ve spent more than a decade in journalism trying to make the world easier to understand for myself and others.
I’ve reported for legacy media outlets including NBC News and United Press International, covering a wide range of news.
Breaking, developing, mergers, weather, wars, pandemics, recalls, tragedies, triumphs — I’ve written all types of news over a decade and amassed hundreds of bylines as a result.
I’ve managed social media accounts, reaching millions. I’ve produced videos. For a digital journalist, that’s the job.
Along the way, my career has taken intriguing detours. As Senior Editor of Hedgehog Social, a news-focused social media app, I worked to defend and support journalism by curating credible news content for a media-averse audience, with whom I would converse and often disagree. It wasn’t easy, nor was it always successful, but I learned how to directly confront disinformation and media illiteracy.
For an eyebrow-raising stint, I was Playboy’s Sex & Relationships Writer. The experience was an opportunity to share the same principles of journalism — truth-seeking, independence, transparency, accountability and compassion — to profoundly human experiences.
Despite the stigma, I embraced the job as an opportunity to do my best and to try to make a positive impact in whatever way I can. That’s the best way to live. For more on my career, visit my Portfolio.
Anyway, I also like traveling, playing piano, laughing, reading/movies/video games, taking photos and enjoying being a human before the AI revolution.
