Jeff Burnside has been in the news business for more than 20 years working as a reporter, anchor, news manager and producer in cities such as Seattle, Boston and now Miami where he is part of the highly regarded WTVJ Special Projects Unit.
Burnside reports investigative, long-format and environmental stories. He periodically covers daily news. He’s won more than 25 journalism awards - for television and newspaper reporting and photography - including several regional Emmys. In 2007, he won three prestigious national awards for his investigative reporting; the Investigative Reporters and Editors Certificate, the National Press Club Award, and the Clarion Award.
His assignments have ranged from interviewing presidents, going inside to investigate violent white extremists, exposing dangerous religious cults, documenting serious lapses in Florida’s drivers licensing, videotaping bribes, uncovering the harm to whales from powerful sonar, to going undercover to chronicle the secret pipeline from puppy mills to pet stores. His assignments have taken him to Indonesia, Central America, the Caribbean and every part of America.
Burnside is also a frequent invited speaker and panelist on environmental journalism and journalism ethics. In addition, he’s earned fellowships at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh studying climate change, the Metcalf Institute for Environmental Reporting (University of Rhode Island Graduate School of Oceanography) and the Western Knight Center for Specialized Reporting in political coverage (University of Southern California Annenberg School). He is a long-time member of Investigative Reporters and Editors, and serves on the national board of the Society of Environmental Journalists, and the Scripps Institute on the Environment at Florida Atlantic University.
Burnside was born and raised in Seattle, Washington where he grew a fondness for the outdoors, including boating, water and snow skiing, scuba diving and alpine hiking - reaching the summit of Mount Rainier. He lives in Miami Shores. Burnside is also active in volunteering for community non-profit organizations. He graduated from Washington State University’s Edward R. Murrow School of Communications.
Email Jeff: jeff.burnside@nbcuni.com
Liberal POS.