N.J. Burkett
He has reported on everything from war and diplomacy to crime and politics; from aviation disasters to natural disasters, race relations and police misconduct.
On September 11, 2001, after the two jets struck the World Trade Center, N.J. and his photographer narrowly escaped the subsequent collapse of the South Tower. Their work was later seen on television news broadcasts across the nation and around the world and is on permanent exhibit at the Newseum in Washington, DC.
N.J. spent nearly three months covering the war in Iraq in 2003, and the military build-up that preceded it. He covered the terrorist bombings in Madrid (2004) and London (2005), as well as the war between Israel and Hezbollah in Southern Lebanon (2006), the Israeli-Hamas War in Gaza (2009-10) as well as three Israeli national elections and the death of Palestinian leader, Yasir Arafat (2004). N.J. witnessed the historic Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip (2005) and chronicled the Palestinian popular uprising, known as the Intifadeh, in a series of overseas assignments from 2000-2004.
He was the only local New York television news correspondent to report from Japan after the historic 9.0 earthquake, tsunami and nuclear accident in 2011, and the first among his colleagues to report from Haiti after the earthquake there, in 2010.
In New York, N.J. has been one of WABC-TV's lead reporters for many of the region's biggest stories, from Superstorm Sandy to the crash of TWA Flight 800, the massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School and landmark police misconduct trials. When a growing number of homeless New Yorkers complained that the city's municipal shelters were unsafe, N.J. went undercover for several weeks in the winter of 2001, disguised as a homeless man. He and an undercover photographer slept in New York's most notorious men's shelter.
N. J.'s work has been honored with several of the most prestigious awards in American television news. He is a two-time winner of the coveted Edward R. Murrow Award from the Radio Television Digital News Association (formerly the RTNDA) and a four-time Emmy Award winner, including the Emmy for Outstanding On-Camera Achievement in 2003 and 2007. N.J. has received fifteen Emmy Nominations.
He shared the George Foster Peabody Award and the Alfred I. duPont-Columbia University Award with his colleagues at ABC News for his reporting on the September 11th terrorist attacks. In 2008, he was presented with the Allen B. DuMont Broadcaster of the Year Award by Montclair State University for his "significant contributions to the field of broadcasting."
N.J. is the First Vice Chairman of the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, and a former Trustee and past President of the Academy's flagship chapter in New York.
His full name is Newton Jones Burkett. Before joining WABC-TV, N. J. was a correspondent for WFSB-TV, the CBS station in Hartford, CT., from 1986-1989. He holds a B.A. in Political Science and a Master's in International Affairs, both from Columbia University.
N.J's Stories
Andrew Cuomo denies coordination with Trump in NYC mayoral race, insists it was just speculation
Cuomo denies discussing the mayoral race with the president but apparently believes Trump is so determined to stop Mamdani that the president is willing to back him.
New poll shows Mamdani with commanding lead as candidates ramp up attacks
The new poll does show a big lead for Mamdani, but experts say there is good news and bad news for everybody.
Mamdani, Cuomo spar over affordable housing ahead of New York City mayoral election
Zohran Mamdani found himself on the defensive over his rent-stabilized apartment in Astoria, Queens.
MTA faces fallout after flash floods, power failures plague New York City's aging subway system
MTA Chairman Janno Lieber says the subway system is struggling to make up for years of neglect and disinvestment.
New York City's sanctuary laws under scrutiny after Border Protection officer shot in Manhattan
The shooting of an off-duty Customs and Border Protection officer in Upper Manhattan over the weekend by two suspects in the U.S. illegally, is fueling the debate around New York City's sanctuary city laws.
Andrew Cuomo reflects on primary loss and charts different path for November
And as for his double-digit loss in the primary, Cuomo has a plan ahead of the general election.
Zohran Mamdani scores prize endorsement in New York City mayoral race amid big business questions
For Zohran Mamdani, there is no bigger prize than the endorsement of DC37, the city's largest municipal labor union.
Andrew Cuomo says his management experience sets him apart in race for New York City mayor
He also insists that New Yorkers want their mayor to stand up to President Donald Trump, and says that he is best able to do that.
Andrew Cuomo admits he regrets decision to resign as New York governor
Andrew Cuomo told the New York Times that staying in office rather than resigning would have been better for the state of New York.
Firebombing in Boulder, Colorado sparks new fears in New York City's Jewish communities
For Jewish New Yorkers, the risk is real and it's growing, especially in the ultra-Orthodox community in Brooklyn.