Hi, I'm Justin.

I'm a writer and communications professional previously based in Washington, D.C., and New York City, currently based in Cleveland, OH.

I spent the past decade writing and podcasting for The Ringer, covering a range of subjects: music, movies, television, video games, tech, politics, and current affairs. I was a Senior Staff Writer and the co-host of Sound Only.

Before that, I was an Account Director at Brunswick Group, a global communications firm. I worked extensively in crisis comms, reputation management, and public affairs.

I'm also a decidedly un-professional saxophonist and still less professional programmer. I'm developing Woodshed, a practice app for musicians who learn by ear.

Features & Essays

• With the Purchase of EA, Saudi Arabia Wields Soft Power With a Game Controller - Oct 3, 2025 - A column about censorship, geopolitics, and the video game industry.
• How Video Streamers Conquered the Media - Dec 12, 2024 - A reported story about YouTube creators triumphing over the modern media landscape.
• The Decade In Lose-Lose Arguments About Kanye West - Oct 28, 2022 - A column about the political radicalization of Kanye West and his fanbase's persistent struggle to proccess it.
• Video Games' Sensory Revolution: How Haptics Reinvented the Controller - Sep 15, 2021 - A reported feature on how haptic feedback is changing the way we interact with video game controllers.
• We Don't Live On Campus. We Live On the Internet. - Aug 4, 2020 - An argumentative examination of how online spaces have become battlegrounds for cultural and political debates.
• Joe Budden Gets Paid to Hate - June 13, 2017 - A reported profile of the New Jersey rapper and hip-hop media personality Joe Budden.
• He Who Would Defend Shmurda - June 9, 2016 - A reported profile of the high-powered defense attorney Alex Spiro.

Podcasts

• Poetic Justice: The Year of Kendrick Lamar - A reported podcast feature about the defining rap beef of a generation, Drake vs. Kendrick Lamar.
• Sound Only: A Neon Genesis Evangelion Podcast - An exhaustive recap series about one of the most profound and enduring anime of all time.

Videos

• Why We Love Hideo Kojima - A video essay about the Japanese video game designer Hideo Kojima and his popular works, including Metal Gear Solid and Death Stranding.
• How Do You Win the Iowa Caucus (and Why Does That Matter)? - A video explainer about the 2020 Democratic presidential primary campaigns and the Iowa caucuses.