Steve Popper covers the Knicks for Newsday. He has spent nearly three decades covering the Knicks and the NBA, along with just about every sports team in the New York metropolitan area.

Steve Popper

Radio was my first love, but you can say that print was my calling.

My godfather was a news director at a local radio station where I spent many Saturdays writing, editing and sometimes interviewing guests for future broadcasts. I developed a passion for storytelling through the spoken word, which led me to pursue a career in journalism.

After college I returned to radio following a stint in television news, where I hosted a public affairs show. One of my guests was a recruiter for Newsday who wooed me to tell stories through the written word.

I started working at Newsday in 1998 as a copy editor but began my reporting career in 2002 in our Queens bureau. A quarter-century later, I am still passionate about Newsday and proud to write for the paper I grew up with. For the past 10 years, I&rsquo;ve covered the Town of Huntington, one of the biggest and most diverse towns on Long Island, attending town and village board meetings, walking along main and back streets of its many villages and hamlets and reporting on important issues such as government accountability and affordable housing. One impactful story I&rsquo;ve had the privilege to report on is Newsday&rsquo;s award-winning Long Island Divided series, which explored discrimination in home buying on Long Island.

Covering local news is Newsday&rsquo;s primary mission and my colleagues and I strive each and every day to keep you informed through our various platforms, from print to social media to our latest venture, NewsdayTV.

I might also add that NewsdayTV, which brings readers up to date news, videos, documentaries and live broadcasts, also gives me an opportunity to return to my first love, when last November I reported on issues on top of mind for Huntington residents.

Though our news delivery evolves and adapts to keep up with our readers&rsquo; interests, our mission at Newsday remains the same: to bring our readers up to date breaking news and other impactful stories that matter to our readers.

As a lifelong Long Islander and newshound, I can tell you that no one covers our island like Newsday.

Deborah S. Morris

238986-JournalistCampaign_DeborahMorris_LandingPage.jpg

Radio was Deborah&rsquo;s first love and that led her to pursue a career in journalism. Now, for over a decade, she&rsquo;s been Newsday&rsquo;s voice in Huntington, uncovering local issues and empowering residents with news and information.

Services

marketing-journalists-deborahmorris

Newsday Journalists: Deborah S. Morris

Newsday

On my first day in preschool, I ran away. 
	&nbsp; 
	The classroom was simply too much pressure for an extremely shy girl who, even at home, hid behind her mother&rsquo;s skirt when relatives visited. Despite my shyness, I was incredibly nosy. I would follow my mother from room to room, asking questions, until one day she handed me a book titled &ldquo;One Hundred Thousand Whys.&rdquo; 
	&nbsp; 
	I fell in love with journalism when I learned that a reporter can play the role of a fly on the wall. In this profession, I get to watch events unfold, ask questions and tell stories. I find it exhilarating to be in the room &ndash; sometimes invited and other times not &ndash; where things happen. 
	&nbsp; 
	That &ldquo;room&rdquo; does not have to be in a building, but it could be a boat on the Chesapeake Bay, where I photographed watermen working before sunrise. Or the suburban streets of Long Island, where protesters rallied. Or my living room at the start of the pandemic, on the phone with a woman describing how she sang in her mind to her dying mother, who was ill with COVID-19 in a locked-down nursing home. 
	&nbsp; 
	Now, as an education reporter, one of my favorite places is the classroom. I grew up in China and didn&rsquo;t attend classes in a K-12 school system in the United States, so everything is fascinating to me, from the way a kindergarten classroom is laid out to how high school students are tested. What&rsquo;s not different is the fierce desire, accompanied by anxiety, in young people seeking a good education, and how for many, that opportunity is their chance to build better lives and find pathways for upward social mobility. 
	&nbsp; 
	That&rsquo;s why I think it&rsquo;s important for us at Newsday, Long Island&rsquo;s hometown paper, to report on what works and what doesn&rsquo;t in our education system. Because, as educators often tell me: &ldquo;Our students deserve the best.&rdquo;

Dandan Zou

747915-1920x1080_Dandan.jpg

Growing up as an incredibly curious child, Dandan would follow her mother around from room to room asking questions. Today, she remains just as passionate about telling stories as Newsday&rsquo;s education reporter.

marketing-journalists-dandanzou

Newsday Journalists: Dandan Zou

Sam Kmack

Long Island

Most Popular

Newsday TV shorts

Vertical videos

The Knicks introduced Mike Brown on Tuesday as their new head coach, and his goal is to produce championships. Newsday's Knicks beat writer Steve Popper reports.

Knicks introduce Mike Brown as their new head coach

How fast can Ken eat? NewsdayTV's Ken Buffa learns from, and challenges, compettive eater Eric "Badlands" Booker in this weeks LI works.

LI Works: World of competitive eating with LI's Eric 'Badlands' Booker

The MTA says it's been busting more ghost vehicles than ever. But the numbers show toll evasion in New York City isn't getting much better. Newsday Transportation Reporter Alfonso Castillo reports.

Toll evasion still high despite 'ghost vehicle' crackdown

Kathy Collins, Long Island's first female world boxing champion, speaks to NewsdayTV's Carissa Kellman about her legendary career and the sport's growth years later.

She was LI's first female world boxing champion

Lower gas prices may have caused more people to hit the roads this holiday weekend, according to AAA. Meanwhile, storms over parts of the U.S. could affect travelers heading home later this week. NewsdayTV's Andrew Ehinger reports.

LIers navigate holiday weekend traffic

For many people in the Massapequa community, Independence Day means pride. NewsdayTV's Virginia Huie reports.

Celebrating July Fourth on LI

Fans packed inside to watch and celebrate the team making the first overall selection, something that the team lucked into when they won the draft lottery with just 3.5% odds.

Top pick sparks excitement for the future at Islanders draft party

We built our own combination of fresh pasta with sauce at a brand new eatery in Mineola.

Authentic pasta eatery opens in Mineola

Human remains were found in a car submerged in Mount Sinai Harbor Monday evening. Detectives believe it is the missing piece of a cold case that's more than a decade old. NewsdayTV's Virginia Huie reports.

Human remains found in car submerged at Cedar Beach 

Visit Three Village Historical Society and Tri-Spy Tours in Setauket to learn about the Culper Spy Ring and the role Long Island played in the Revolutionary War.

Learning about LI's Culper Spy Ring

Latest Videos

Latest videos

Once on the bring of extinction, the osprey is making a comeback on Long Island thanks to the work of wildlife conservation agencies. NewsdayTV's Virginia Huie reports.

'It's a success story'

Five people were evacuated after the driver of a Toyota Camry crashed into the building, Nassau police said. NewsdayTV's Ken Buffa reports.

5 evacuated after car drives into building

'We believe this is a missing persons case'

Long Island law enforcement offiicals say they have zero tolerance toward personal fireworks usage but data shows the laws are enforced sparingly. NewsdayTV's Virginia Huie reports.

'Could be scary sometimes'

The leader of a Long Island MS-13 clique was sentenced to 68 years in prison for his role in eight murders.

Alexi Saenz, 30, pleaded guilty for role in 8 murders

Sign up for the NewsdayTV newsletter

Long Island Newsletter Widget

The marker remembers the life of Elymus Reeve, an "extraordinary American story" recalled by historians and officials alike.

New historical marker in Mattituck acknowledges slavery's role in Southold

Long Island Article Bottom Module

A wet Tuesday brought heat, humidity and clusters of storms to the region.

LIers to get weather deja vu Wednesday and Thursday, forecasters say

Statewide, 230 grants were awarded this week by the state Office of Victim Services.

NYS adds $100M to funding for crime victims and families

Giuseppe Bellanca, Dom and Mary Spinosa and Lawrence Sperry are the Class of 2025.

Long Island Air & Space Hall of Fame adds 4 names

The town wants to ban the use of certain vehicles at its beaches and parks. It's also looking to crack down on the parking lot "pregame." A public hearing is set for Wednesday morning.

Babylon officials consider toughening laws against electric bikes, loitering

Downtown hasn't had a major hotel in decades, perhaps since the 1950s, an official said.

Plan for downtown Patchogue hotel clears final hurdle

While there's more freedom in single-family homes, rentals and condos often charge more if pets are in the mix.

Looking for a pet-friendly rental? Consider updating your dog's resume.

Long Island Video Playlist

A plan to slash rental assistance by $26 billion would cap housing vouchers for working-age, able-bodied adults at two years. NewsdayTV's Virginia Huie reports

'I will be in trouble'

Police say it happened while the family was having dinner at their home on Juniper Circle North.

Lightning strikes Lawrence home

Dozens of protesters rallied in Hempstead Sunday against recent ICE raids in the community. NewsdayTV's Andrew Ehinger reports.

'They're trying to find a job and support their families'

A driver was charged with driving while intoxicated after crashing through a wooden barricade at Montauk Green early Sunday, causing an estimated $151,000 worth of damage to artwork.

Damage costs rise in art show crash

Newsday examines the increase in aggressive driving on Long Island as part of a yearlong investigative series into the area's dangerous roads. NewsdayTV's Shari Einhorn reports.

'He killed my daughter and two other children'

Personal items seized by Suffolk County investigators from the home of alleged Gilgo Beach serial killer Rex Heuermann are hitting the market. NewsdayTV's Virginia Huie reports.

Army jeep among Heuermann possessions for sale sparking interest from collectors

Nassau County and state park officials are ramping up shark patrols ahead of the holiday weekend following a recent incident at Jones Beach. NewsdayTV's Virginia Huie reports.

'Make sure everybody is safe'

Wheatley Heights native Jordan Simpson has gone viral for his jingles recapping each Mets series. NewsdayTV's Jolie Katzen reports.

LIer recaps Mets series — in song form

Some women who were married in New York before 1986 are experiencing issues obtaining a REAL ID. Newsday TV's Ken Buffa and Newsday Babylon Town reporter Denise M. Bonilla have more.

'It's not right'

Suffolk police say the increased level of officers at Patchogue's event will also be seen at other similar gatherings across the county. NewsdayTV's Andrew Ehinger reports.

'You will see increased security at all of those events'

Police are urging Long Islanders to celebrate July Fourth safely and leave the fireworks shows to the professionals. NewsdayTV's Ken Buffa reports.

Suffolk's top cop: 'We will make arrests'

"I am terrified for the people of Long Island," one official said about the region, where 14% of drivers involved in deadly crashes did not have a license. Newsday examines LI's dangerous roads in a yearlong investigative series. NewsdayTV's Shari Einhorn reports.

'It's sickening to me'

Homepage Trending

Trump's impact on LI

Long Island's Dangerous Roads

Summer FunBook

All-Long Island teams

<a href="https://www.newsday.com/video/newsdaytv-top-stories">Get more on these and other NewsdayTV stories</a>

Newsday TV

NewsdayTV Top Item

Ospreys making comeback ... LI Works: Competitive eating ... Get the latest news and more great videos at NewsdayTV

Ospreys making comeback ... LI Works: Competitive eating

App Nativo Ad Unit Slot

Long Island - megaslot

Find out what's happening with Nassau & Suffolk news, Long Island schools, plus the latest crime, courts, politics. Coverage includes Fire Island, the Hamptons & North Fork.

Sam Kmack

Sam Kmack's Work

More Newsday Journalists

Welcome to the Newsday Community

Subscribe

Support and Subscribe

Share

Share the good word

Stay logged in.