August 5, 2020
Everyone has a story to tell—and Alex Finnie ’12CPS has made it her mission, through her career as a journalist, to share them with the world.
“I love telling stories that spark impactful conversations,” she explained. “One of the greatest gifts as a journalist is that you get to give a voice to those who feel like they have been silenced. It is a responsibility that I take seriously.”
When she reflects on her own personal story, Ms. Finnie, an anchor and reporter for WPLG Local 10 News in Miami, FL, credits much of her success to the education she received as a Television and Film major in St. John’s University’s College of Professional Studies (now known as The Lesley H. and William L. Collins College of Professional Studies).
“My love for journalism grew so much during my time at St. John’s as I did a lot of work with WSJU, the University’s radio station,” she reflected. “Throughout my four years, I had amazing professors who took the time to teach and also to mentor. I remember having a conversation during my senior year with my professor, Susan Weber, Mass Communication, Associate Professor about my career goals. She helped me narrow my focus and gave me tips on how to tackle the competitive world of TV news.”
While in college, she interned at Fox5 News, Entertainment Tonight, The Wendy Williams Show, and Miami-Dade TV. After graduation, Ms. Finnie began her journalism career as a newsroom assistant in Manhattan. She eventually landed an on-air position in Pennsylvania and then worked at CBS 42 in Birmingham, AL, where she served as the weekend morning show anchor for two years. In May of 2018, she was hired as a Local 10 morning show reporter; she became the interim weekend evening anchor in February of 2019, before officially becoming the weekend evening anchor in January.
Ms. Finnie has covered a wide variety of stories. In addition to her daily local news reports from south Florida, she has traveled to cover larger events outside of the viewing area. In September of 2018, she covered Hurricane Michael, a catastrophic category 5 storm that ravaged large portions of the Florida panhandle. In October of 2018, she reported on the mass shooting at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh, PA.
Throughout her career, Ms. Finnie has had the opportunity to interview several famous people, including US President Donald J. Trump, former US President Barack Obama, Rev. Al Sharpton, and Oprah Winfrey, to name a few. She covered the widely publicized scandal that led to former Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley’s resignation, as well as the heated Alabama senate race between Roy Moore and US Senator Doug Jones (D-Ala.). She also had the honor of covering the 50-year anniversary of Bloody Sunday in Selma, AL, the event that led to the Voting Rights Act of 1965.