Alex Koma has spent his career covering the D.C. area at a variety of publications, including Washington City Paper, the Washington Business Journal, and ARLnow, where he’s focused on local government, politics, the criminal legal system and more.
Alex is also known for shedding light on people in power, like one of the city’s most successful contractors who pivoted to the hospitality industry after a slew of lawsuits and investigations and one of Mayor Bowser's top federal lobbyists, who ex-staffers say created “toxic work environments" and made “inappropriate” remarks before his run for shadow senator.
"It’s my hope to deliver the sort of in-depth coverage of what’s happening behind the scenes in the Wilson Building and in D.C. communities that readers simply can’t find anywhere else: particularly in outlets that have turned away from local news," says Alex, who joins The 51st from WAMU, where he reported breaking news and feature stories for radio and the web.
We asked him a few questions about why he's joining our team, and what readers can expect from his coverage.
Why did you want to work at The 51st?
I’ve worked in local media companies of all shapes and sizes over the course of my years in journalism. But it is very rare indeed to find one that is so committed to local news, serving the community and empowering its workers as The 51st. I am tremendously excited by the chance to take what I’ve learned covering local D.C. and bring it to an outlet that has quickly established itself as one of the premiere news sources for District residents.
What stories are you most excited to dig into?
The D.C. government stands at a tremendous inflection point. Besieged by an uncommonly unfriendly White House, the city is about to hand over the keys to a new generation of leaders — and the community needs publications with the experience to cover such a seismic shift.
What else should readers know about you?
I’m a product of Fairfax County Public Schools, but these days I live in Shaw with my wife, where we’ve just bought our first house! I spend my time seeing absolutely every movie that comes out (RIP to the GOAT, E Street Theater), running on D.C. trails, and sampling as many restaurants as possible in search of the coldest martini in D.C. Your recommendations on navigating all the above are welcome!
Elliot C. Williams has also recently joined our editorial team! Get to know him here.
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