Kenneth Burns is WHYY’s New Jersey reporter. He joined the station in 2018 as an anchor. He also contributed stories and won a 2020 Keystone Media Award for one of them.
Prior to WHYY, he covered city government and urban issues for WYPR in Baltimore, his first stop in public media. His coverage of the Freddie Gray police trials won a 2017 National Headliner Award. Burns began his career shortly after high school as an intern and later news assistant at WTOP in Washington, D.C. He would go on to work for several commercial broadcasting outlets as a reporter, anchor, and producer in the D.C. and Baltimore metro areas.
The native Marylander and recently adopted New Jerseyan is a graduate of Towson University and Anne Arundel Community College.
More from the Contributor
Outgoing New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy declines to codify Immigrant Trust Directive
The directive, established in 2018, survived legal challenges. Murphy feared codifying it would not have the same chances in court.
3 days ago
Listen 1:06
Garden State residents spend more than 30% of their income on housing. The newly elected governor wants to make the state more affordable.
3 days ago
Listen 1:06
Camden balances surveillance and public safety while leaning heavily on drone technology
As Camden County Police expand drone programs, surveillance in New Jersey is becoming more common.
4 days ago
Atlantic City officials respond to concerns about recent ICE operations there
Federal immigration officers have been in the city since mid-December, according to an immigrant advocacy group.
1 week ago
Listen 1:03
GOP leaders criticized Murphy on taxes, spending, energy policy and his COVID-19 response, and expressed hope for Mikie Sherrill's success.
1 week ago
Listen 1:05
Watch: New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy’s final State of the State address
The Democrat’s term will end on Jan. 20. He will be succeeded by Gov.-elect Mikie Sherrill.
1 week ago
New Jersey sues Camden scrapyard operator EMR over neighborhood impact
Attorney General Matt Platkin filed the suit nearly a year after a major blaze at the Camden scrapyard.
1 week ago
Listen 0:58
New Jersey’s Richard Codey, who died Sunday, remembered as dedicated public servant
Codey, the state’s longest-serving lawmaker, was acting governor in the 2000s while he was Senate president.
1 week ago
Listen 0:55
Llano, who has led Vineland schools since 2021, was named during the State Board of Education meeting Wednesday.
2 weeks ago
Listen 0:57
Camden’s historic decline in crime requires context, say experts
Camden continues to see historic lows, but homicides per capita in the city remain above national numbers.
2 weeks ago
Listen 0:57
Pemberton Township to select new mayor at Wednesday meeting
Jack Tompkins resigned on the day his liability insurance coverage would’ve ended. Township Council will pick from three names.
2 weeks ago
Listen 1:02
Haddonfield’s Artwalk celebrates ‘The Art of Architecture’
The exhibit, on display through spring 2026, examines the blend of modern buildings and historic spaces.
3 weeks ago
Listen 0:58