Jean-Paul Salamanca

I grew up first in the Ridgewood section of Queens and then in New Hyde Park. I originally became a reporter after being inspired from watching a special celebrating the birthday and career of longtime NBC News reporter Gabe Pressman during my senior year of high school. I started working for Newsday in June 2016.

My goal as a journalist when it comes to covering Long Island is to educate and inform readers while providing stories with content or context they may not get anywhere else. Growing up on Long Island, I’ve come to appreciate the uniqueness of the area. It has a piece of special history linked in the past yet is constantly changing and evolving. In this day and age, local journalism is more important than ever. It’s the work of local journalists that keeps the public informed of what’s going on in their neighborhoods, what’s happening with their local government, and how decisions made during times where most people are at work or at home affect them. For that reason, local journalism is a crucial function for the public.

In this day and age, local journalism is more important than ever. It’s the work of local journalists that keeps the public informed of what’s going on in their neighborhoods.

Newsday does that kind of journalism in ways that are meaningful, insightful and has an in-depth knowledge of the communities that we cover. There is a satisfaction that comes from being able to provide a piece of that to our readers from my work.

When I think of the stories that I was proudest of while at Newsday, I think back to several, but two that come to mind right off the bat are a story I wrote about the highest water users on Long Island — several of which covered my beat at the time— and a deep dive I wrote examining the longstanding traffic problems on the East End using data and interviewing a variety of people from residents to businesses to state and local officials about the problem. Another I was proud to cover were several stories I wrote during the Black Lives Matter protests on Long Island in 2020 as the COVID-19 pandemic was at its height.

Whether it be a story about the actions and consequences of local laws passed by government or a feature on the unique people within the communities I cover and their stories, or a major national story making its way into the communities I have covered, being able to let people know what is happening in their communities and bring them stories that can educate, inform and inspire them is satisfying as a journalist. And having the platform in which Newsday provides me is an honor and a privilege that I take seriously.