Alexandra Burnley was born and raised in Alexandria, Virginia, close to the nation’s capital. Growing up with D.C. nearby fueled her curiosity to learn about what was happening in the country and throughout the world every day, and she discovered her passion for writing early on. After high school, she decided to head down to SEC Country for college. She graduated from the University of Georgia in 2014 with a Digital & Broadcast Journalism degree.
Alexandra moved to Wausau, Wisconsin for her first reporting job at WAOW. She did all of her own video shooting and editing for the reports she wrote daily. After a year there, she moved to Green Bay, Wisconsin, even though she had become a Vikings fan thanks to her longtime boyfriend, Mark. She spent about two-and-a-half years at WFRV, covering breaking news, crime, local and state government issues, elections, and a whole lot more.
In Green Bay, she would practice anchoring on the desk on her days off. After a few months, her news director gave her the opportunity to fill in as an anchor on the weekends. She enjoyed being at the desk so much that she decided to pursue it full-time. That brought her to KQDS in Duluth, Minnesota, where she served as an evening anchor, producer, and reporter for four years.
Some of the biggest stories she’s reported on include a viewer who reached out for help after he lost his job and was charged by a hospital for a COVID-19 test, even though they were supposed to be free under the CARES Act. Her story helped the viewer receive a reimbursement while exposing that the hospital had been wrongfully charging an estimated 1,000 patients for those same tests, leading to a collective refund of $171,000.
Alexandra also covered the case of a Wisconsin veteran who went missing and was later found to have died by suicide. She interviewed the mother of the veteran who alleged the Tomah VA had denied him mental health treatment. Her reporting was cited in a letter Senator Ron Johnson wrote to the Inspector General of the Department of Veterans Affairs urging for an investigation into the Tomah VA Medical Center.
She has interviewed governors and presidential candidates and covered President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump visiting cities in the Midwest.
One of Alexandra’s favorite quotes is “Be a voice, not an echo,” which she believes resonates with her journalism career. She likes to use her skillset to highlight issues that people may not be aware of, such as the needs of a youth center in Minnesota, or the struggle one of her former co-workers had in getting the correct diagnosis for a chronic medical condition.
Alexandra has two cats, Kingsley and Mia, who she adores. Outside of work, you might run into her riding her bike on a trail or at a venue with live music. She loves meeting people in the community, so say hello if you see her out and about!