Ten Things About David Cohn

Formerly a freelance technology reporter, he co-founded the crowd-funded journalism site Spot.Us in 2008. Now, David Cohn is the founding editor of Circa, the innovative news-reading iPhone app that launched last week. He also blogs and tweets about the future of the media business as “Digidave.”

Below, Cohn answers 10 of our questions.

What was the last thing you fixed?
I built a composting tumbler in my backyard using industrial food barrels. But every year or so, I need to replace the barrel, which begins to sag under the constant weight. I fixed that the weekend before Circa launched, knowing I wouldn’t be able to anytime soon after.

What was your first computer?
An Apple IIc. Well, technically it was my father’s — but he put it in the back den and taught us all how to use it. I was maybe 8 years old and I loved to play King’s Quest and Dr. J vs. Larry Bird, a basketball game.

Do you have a dog or cat or other pet?
I have a cat, Brooklyn. She acts as my assistant and takes my calls when I am in meetings.

What’s your favorite mode of transportation?
I love to bike or take trains. I try to avoid driving if at all possible. I grew up in Los Angeles where public transportation wasn’t that good, so I very much appreciate it now. I love being able to observe the scenery instead of the road when I’m getting somewhere.

If you could have any superpower, what would you choose?
This is a tough one. I suppose I’d go with the ability to freeze time. It just seems like it would be useful. Plus, “Out of This World” was one of my favorite childhood shows. The main character was half-alien and had the ability to freeze time. The crazy next-door neighbor Buzz Belmondo was actually the father of a very good friend of mine growing up.

Describe an ideal day.
A little time in the yard. A burrito. Some time to watch cool sci-fi on Netflix coupled with light reading of my choice. A nice scotch. Yea, I could do that.

What’s the single most important issue in the world today?
I wouldn’t claim to know the single most important issue in the world. I am a big believer that everyone has to fight his/her own battles. What is the biggest issue for one may be nothing to the other. My biggest battle has been around how we can be informed. This is how I ended up in journalism to begin with. How information flows in our society is incredibly important. That is the issue I focus on the most. Would I say it is objectively “the most important in the world”? No, but that’s just the point — what information would one even use to determine what the most important issue in the world is. (Mind explodes).

What qualities do you like in a person?
Moderation. Not somebody too high-strung, but also somebody I can count on. Not somebody too boring/lame — but somebody who doesn’t need to be “funny” all the time. You get the idea. Also shoutout to Megan Cohn — because she has the qualities and said “yes.”

If you could meet any historical or fictional person, who would it be?
Peter Pan. That would be a great adventure.

What’s your favorite guilty pleasure?
Jack in the Box. But can you blame a guy? Their cheeseburger is “Ultimate.”