Simone Jasper
Simone Jasper covers how people eat, explore and spend time, translating national rankings and trends into practical guides for local readers. She focuses on service journalism that points people to standout food, entertainment and wildlife experiences, often by surfacing “best-of” lists and unusual stories tied to the Carolinas.
Service-driven food and dining coverage
Jasper reports on food as part of a broader service beat, using rankings and reports to highlight notable restaurants and food businesses. One of her recurring formats is explaining how national lists apply locally, such as identifying barbecue joints across North Carolina that rank among the nation’s best and spelling out what sets them apart. Her food stories are concise and geared toward utility, helping readers quickly understand where to go and why, whether the subject is barbecue, doughnuts or other popular comfort foods. She keeps the focus on clear takeaways rather than criticism, positioning her coverage as a guide for readers looking for places to visit.
Best-of lists and reader-facing guides
Best-of rankings are a central pillar of Jasper’s work at The News & Observer. She routinely breaks down list-driven coverage — from top restaurants to leisure destinations — into direct, accessible service pieces. In these stories, she summarizes how the rankings were compiled, calls out the local entries and offers enough description for readers to decide if a place or experience fits their interests. Her writing emphasizes brevity and clarity, aiming to answer common reader questions about where to go, what to expect and how a local spot compares to national peers. That same approach extends beyond food to coverage of entertainment and wildlife attractions, where she orients readers toward notable concerts, tours or outdoor experiences.
Wildlife, odd news and real-time local stories
Before joining The News & Observer’s service journalism team, Jasper worked on its real-time desk, and that background shows in her continued attention to wildlife and unusual local events. She has written about coyotes turning up in unexpected places, changing fall foliage conditions, and other quick-turn stories that blend curiosity with practical information. In these pieces, she favors straightforward language and a focus on what readers need to know now — where something happened, what officials have said, and how it affects everyday life. Her tone stays neutral and factual, even when the subject is eye-catching or quirky, and she often uses these stories to point readers to safety guidance or planning tips.
Entertainment and pop culture with local angles
Jasper’s beat also includes entertainment coverage that connects movies, TV shows and concert tours to local audiences. She highlights when major tours or releases have specific ties to the area, turning national pop culture moments into locally grounded stories. These articles mirror her food and wildlife work in structure: short, clear explanations of what is happening, who is involved and why it matters to local readers. She focuses on access and relevance — when a show is coming through, how people can see it, and what distinguishes it from other options on the calendar. Across these subjects, her reporting is defined less by opinion and more by its usefulness to readers trying to make choices about how to spend their time.
4 more food journalists.
Aaron Guerrero
Aaron Guerrero is head of the digital department at Miami’s Community Newspapers, where he pairs restaurant coverage with community-facing content. He focuses on how Miami-area restaurants evolve, celebrate, and experiment through new concepts, menus, and neighborhood-focused dining experiences. He reports on restaurant openings, such as an Italian food hall at Plaza Coral Gables, new executive lunch menus, and wood-fired Latin steakhouse brunches, explaining what sets each venue apart. He also covers awards, like a Wine Spectator honor for an Italian chophouse, and events that turn dining rooms into social hubs. His bylines extend to features on sports-themed gatherings, civic renamings, local visits to restaurant programs, sponsored community pieces, and official notices. His work is straightforward and descriptive, helping readers and local businesses connect around specific openings, promotions, and dining experiences.
Alice Mannette
Alice Mannette blends service journalism with narrative reporting about everyday life, using local food and gathering places to tell broader stories about community. She writes for the St. Cloud Times, focusing on practical guides to ice cream shops, wineries and other neighborhood businesses. Her coverage turns questions like where to eat and what to do this weekend into portraits of local entrepreneurs, weekend plans and the social life of her area. She reports food and drink as usable guides while tracing local history, culture and public safety. She also covers how people record their lives, writing features on diaries, family history and new books that examine archives and memory. Alongside this, she reports civic and public safety news and produces USA TODAY Network service pieces that compile clear, concrete resources for people dealing with storms and other emergencies.
Amanda Mactas
Amanda Mactas links food news, pop culture, and practical consumer advice, showing how brands, products, and personalities appear in everyday eating. She is an associate editor at Delish, reporting news and feature stories that span celebrity-driven launches, competitive eating, value-focused roundups, and taste tests. Her beat covers food culture, event-driven food deals, brand campaigns, product testing, grocery finds, and shopping guides, all with a clear service angle. She reports through specific products, personalities, and major sports days or holidays, using them to explain broader trends, marketing tactics, and consumer value. Beyond Delish, she works as a freelance writer and editor across food, travel, health, and lifestyle outlets, profiling founders, public markets, restaurant culture, wellness, and travel, and tying everyday eating to place, wellness, and routine in accessible, utility-focused prose.
Amelia Jones
Amelia Jones is a Fox 4 News reporter who makes major moments in Texas life feel close by centering ordinary people, often through food, fandom and everyday routines. She now reports across web, on-air and social video, keeping the camera and narrative on fans’ faces, crowd noise and local venues as she covers World Cup visitors trying Tex-Mex, FIFA fan festivals and standout supporters whose energy defines the stadium mood. She explains state legislative debates on issues like abortion pills in clear, practical terms, breaking down complex bills and legal analysis into real-world consequences. She reports on trials, crime, explosions and traumatic incidents through witnesses, victims and families, and spends time with small business owners and neighborhood groups in East Dallas. She joined Fox 4 News in 2023 and links daily life to the larger forces that shape Texas.