Leah Burdick
As seen in:
CALIBER,
Tampa Bay Observer,
Art In Your Ear,
Yahoo Entertainment,
Yahoo Life,
Flipboard,
Yahoo Sports,
Yahoo,
WFLA-TV (Tampa, FL),
Burlington Free Press,
WSNN-TV (Sarasota, FL),
Creative Loafing Tampa Bay
and
Covers:
Community news and lifestyle. Focus on all things Tampa Bay related
Doesn't Cover:
I stay away from national news as this is a local news platform.
Interview
What was your first job as a journalist?
WMNF Radio 88.5 a NPR affiliate
Have you ever used a typewriter?
Yes.
How is social media changing news?
Making people lose trust in journalist. Everyone thinks they can be a news reporter without the fundamentals, creating this distrust
Who's your favorite fictional journalist?
Tully Heart from Firefly Lane and Lois Lane from Superman
What does it mean to be a journalist?
It means being honest and being the resources residents need to share their stories and learn from others.
How do you prefer to be pitched on stories?
Email
What tools and software do you use to do your job?
Zoom, Google Meet, Microsoft Teams and in person interviews
What's your favorite social network?
Facebook has my heart.
Who do you wish followed you?
Big Time Rush and the White House
Why did you become a journalist?
I am nosy and I love to learn as much information as I can. As I been working in the field I love the connections I make with people.
What story are you most proud of writing or working on?
I am proud of all the work I do. I think every story. has its own impact and I love knowing I can be a part of that.
What advice can you offer to aspiring journalists?
Get ready to work. You have to have a passion for this field.
When's the best time to pitch you?
Pitch me whenever you want :)
What's the best pitch you ever got?
Lawsuits over abortion amendments and a lawsuit at the University of South Florida from a student organization regarding free speech.
What's your favorite drink?
Coffee and espresso.
When you're not at a computer, where are you most likely to be?
Out in the city or at the beach
Aside from your own, what's your favorite publication to read?
AP News
What's the most common misperception about your beat?
We are still growing as a media outlet in Tampa Bay. We get confused with Tampa Bay Times, sometimes.
Would you like to take the Muck Rack Interview?
Create a Muck Rack profile.