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:

Mission Over Ego

The pooled-funding collaborative Repositioning Fund is helping nonprofits survive and grow by doing the hard thing — completely changing

By Malcolm Burnley

Is Trump Coming For Philly’s Housing Plan?

Inflation. Federal cuts. Labor shortages. Will Mayor Parker’s 30,000 affordable homes goal be thwarted by President Trump?

By Malcolm Burnley

RECAP: How to Solve a Housing Crisis

The latest installment of our Development … for Good series featured a conversation with Mayor Cherelle Parker’s housing czar Angela Brooks and national housing expert Bruce Katz

By Malcolm Burnley

Juneteenth for All?

Almost no Black people on No Kings Day. Almost no White people on Juneteenth. Can we show up together before it’s too late?

By Malcolm Burnley

The Opposite of the Philly Shrug

Crime and poverty have plagued Philadelphia since William Penn’s day. Philly gun violence interrupter Mazzie Casher has historic yet modern solutions

By Malcolm Burnley

Home Repairs 2.0 Hits Harrisburg

Philly State Senator Nikil Saval is working on a bipartisan bill for a new state program to help around 2,500 homeowners each year stay in their houses

By Malcolm Burnley

Putting the Blues in Sinners

How Philadelphia guitarist Randy Bowland shaped Hollywood’s next breakout star

By Malcolm Burnley

RECAP: 2025 Integrity Icon Awards

Last week, The Citizen threw a rousing party to honor five City workers who uphold the values of service, impact and ethics

By Malcolm Burnley

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