Malcolm Burnley Writer

Malcolm Burnley has been a journalist in Philadelphia since 2013. Before joining the masthead as a staff writer, he was a longtime freelancer for several outlets in the city, including the Citizen (some of his all-time favorite stories were pieces for the Citizen, like one about Philly’s voting-machine fiasco and a contribution in the Higginbotham series), Philly Mag, and WHYY. He’s also contributed work to Time, POLITICO magazine, The Atlantic, iHeartRadio and other outlets.

A native of Staten Island, NY, he is passionate about telling overlooked stories throughout Philadelphia. He’s also a podcast host and adjunct professor at Temple University’s Klein School of Communications. He wants to see Philadelphia at its best. And he wants a Dion Waiter statue.

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Stories by Malcolm Burnley:

A Fitting Rebuke to Rizzo?

A monument to civil rights icon Sadie Alexander, planned for where Mayor Frank Rizzo’s used to stand, would be only the third statue of a real-life Black Philadelphian on public view

By Malcolm Burnley

The Folly of Free Parking

What Philly can learn and gain (affordable housing!) from doing the unthinkable: Making our parking spots more expensive.

By Malcolm Burnley

Are Black Men Really the Problem?

Or might it just be that the Democratic Party has taken one of its most loyal voting blocs for granted?

By Malcolm Burnley

Is This The Greatest U.S. Economy Ever?

And if so, why don’t more Americans feel it? Moody’s Chief Economist Mark Zandi, a Malvern resident, on which presidential candidate bodes better for our financial future

By Malcolm Burnley

Closing the Deal

The Harris and Trump campaigns are panicking about their Pennsylvania messaging. What would local political strategists do to capture Philadelphia voters who are critical to a win?

By Malcolm Burnley

Five Reasons the State House Election Matters to Philly

Politicians from our area hold vital leadership roles in the state house, which is a boon to Philadelphia. That could all change in November

By Malcolm Burnley

Ideas We Should Steal: Medical Malpractice Reform … Again

Twenty years ago, the Commonwealth dug itself out of a crisis that put new mothers at risk of illness or death. Signs of trouble are back in Pennsylvania, which could look to California and other states for a solution

By Malcolm Burnley

Jurassic Park on the Schuylkill

Five million people around the world died from antibiotic-resistant bacterial infections last year — a problem expected to multiply in the next several decades. Might a Penn scientist find an answer in our deep past?

By Malcolm Burnley

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