Journalism

As a freelance journalist, I've had the opportunity to write on several beats for excellent publications.

Here is a sample of the work I'm most proud of throughout my career. Click on any image to read the full article.

Al Jazeera

In 2020 I traveled to Minneapolis to cover the George Floyd protests. This is an article I wrote about the community's response. I prefer to let this work speak for itself rather than write anything about it.

Photo: Chadan Khanna/AFP

Observer

My biggest assignment at Observer was covering the El Chapo trial in Brooklyn. As a senior in college at the time, I found myself running between the classroom and the courtroom. It was my first exposure to "real" journalism—with 20-hour days and the excitement of breaking news. Here, I learned how to write on deadline, turning around a major story in under an hour.

Here's one of my favorite articles from the trail

United States Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of New York

I started working for Observer in college, first as an intern, then as a freelancer. During my time there, I covered a wide range of subject matter, from the serious to the funny.

At Observer, I had some of the most fun of my career, especially covering mundane topics in food as a mock investigative journalist. First, there was "Blowing the Lid Off the Subway Bread Smell Conspiracy," an article that had me biking across the city to "uncover" the truth to the theory that Subay pumps the smell of its bread out onto the street as a marketing tactic.

If you're confused, I highly recommend reading the full article.

Photo: Lucien Formichella

Another of my favorites from my time at Observer is "The Dark and Painful Process of Buying Candy Corn When It’s NOT Halloween Season." this article was a deep dive into the sordid underground off-season candy corn market. Along the way, I uncovered—and subsequently solved—an actual mystery with the help of some confused experts.

Photo: Pixabay

Business Insider

In 2020, I started writing food reviews for Business Insider, and still do. Subjects range from the absurd (SPAM) to the classic (M&Ms).

This SPAM review garnered over 2 million clicks after its release.

Photo: Lucien Formichella for Insider

This 24-flavor M&M review is one of my longest.

Photo: Lucien Formichella for Insider

Bonus: Beyond the Grease

My career started in college with a food blog. I was unsatisfied with the number of opportunities I was getting in my college program and decided to go out and write about what I like writing about—food, specifically local hole-in-the-wall places. This is my favorite post—about Burp Bowl, a local Chinese restaurant.  

My trip to Burp Bowl in 2017 Photo: Lucien Formichella