Michael Pincus
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Michael Pincus’s Biography
Read Full Bio →I'm a Los Angeles-based freelance journalist and culture writer covering music, nightlife, entertainment, LGBTQ+ culture and travel, with a focus on subcultures and community-driven spaces. My work spans reported features, profiles, criticism and first-person essays, often rooted in underground scenes or contemporary pop culture.
I've contributed to outlets including DJ Magazine and Teen Vogue, and I publish Queer Frequencies, an independent Substack newsletter documenting L.A.'s queer undergro…
Michael Pincus’s Journalist Portfolio
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Interview
See all 14 answers →What was your first job as a journalist?
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Awards
See all 9 awards →USC Annenberg Dean’s List Member
2025
• Recognized in six semesters for achieving a GPA of 3.5 or higher on 12 or more units of letter-graded coursework
USC Magna Cum Laude Honoree
2025
• Earned Latin honors at commencement for a cumulative GPA of 3.7 or higher
Alpha Lambda Delta Honor Society Member
2022
• Inducted into the national honor society recognizing academic excellence in the first year of college
USC Thematic Option Honors Scholar
2021
• Completed USC’s interdisciplinary honors alternative to general education, a four-year program emphasizing critical inquiry, writing and dialogue across disciplines • Received a medal at commencement in recognition of program completion
USC Trustee Scholarship
2021
• Awarded USC’s top merit scholarship, a full-tuition award given to approximately 100 incoming students each year
National YoungArts Foundation Merit Winner
2020 - Writing: Creative Nonfiction
• Awarded Merit Winner for Writing: Creative Nonfiction by the National YoungArts Foundation for a braided personal essay titled “Tracing Stars” • Selected through a national blind adjudication process; winners represent the top 8.8 percent of applicants
National Scholastic Press Association Honor Roll of Student Journalists
2020
• Inducted into the NSPA Journalism Honor Roll for service on student media staff, a GPA of 3.5 or higher and adviser nomination
Columbia Scholastic Press Association Gold Circle Award
2019 - Cultural Feature
• Recognized with first place for the feature story “Swiping Right,” published in The Muse student newsmagazine
Scholastic Art & Writing Award
2019 - Personal Essay & Memoir
• Recognized for the braided personal essay “Tracing Stars” in the Personal Essay & Memoir category • The essay earned a Regional Gold Key, advanced to the national level and was awarded a Silver Medal