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Top Food Journalists in USA (2025)

Food Journalists - USAFood Journalists - USAFood Journalists - USAFood Journalists - USA

Discover and contact the top Food journalists in USA, updated for 2025. If you're interested in contacting Food journalists, you can sign up below and download the Food journalists contact list!

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Breana Killeen

Food journalist at Food & Wine, USA
USA
Food
Health
Lifestyle

As current contributor to Food & Wine and former test kitchen director at EatingWell, Killeen specializes in recipes that balance cultural authenticity with nutritional science. Her work serves as a bridge between academic research and home kitchens, particularly through:

  • Cultural Recipe Development: Creating dishes that honor traditional ingredients while addressing modern dietary needs
  • Seasonal Preservation: Techniques for extending local produce usability without nutrient loss
  • Culinary Education: Making professional cooking methods accessible to home chefs

Pitching Priorities

  • Authentic Ingredient Sourcing: Highlight partnerships with cultural experts or heritage producers
  • Technical Process Breakdowns: Include step-by-step visual guides for complex techniques
  • Nutritional Impact Data: Pair recipes with peer-reviewed studies on health outcomes

Recent career highlights include James Beard Award-nominated agricultural reporting and developing USDA-adopted recipe standardization protocols. Killeen maintains particular interest in stories exploring:

"How immigrant food traditions adapt to local ingredient availability while maintaining cultural significance."

Carla Lalli Music

Food journalist at Substack, USA
USA
Food
Lifestyle
Media

Carla Lalli Music is an award-winning food writer and digital media strategist currently publishing through her Substack Food Processing. With 15+ years spanning Bon Appétit leadership and bestselling cookbooks, she specializes in:

  • Home Cooking Education Recipes emphasizing technique mastery over rigid formulas, as seen in her James Beard Award-winning Where Cooking Begins.
  • Creator Economy Analysis Transparent breakdowns of digital content production costs, notably her viral 2025 YouTube economics exposé.

Pitching Priorities

  • Do Pitch: Kitchen tech under $150, newsletter monetization case studies, academic food research with practical applications
  • Avoid: Restaurant openings, processed food trends, single-ingredient deep dives without technique applications

Recent Milestones:

  • Launched podcast Worst Day of Your Life So Far (2024) exploring culinary mishaps
  • Announced third cookbook focused on "minimum effort, maximum flavor" recipes (2026 release)

Carolyn Williams

Food journalist at EatingWell, USA
USA
Food
Health
Lifestyle

As EatingWell's lead nutrition expert, Williams transforms dietary science into practical kitchen strategies. Her work sits at the intersection of clinical research and home cooking, with recent focuses on:

  • Neuro-nutrition: Developing recipes that support cognitive longevity through omega-3 optimization
  • Metabolic meal engineering: Creating flavor-forward dishes that regulate blood sugar
  • Pediatric nutrition: Solving picky eating through sensory-based nutrient delivery

Pitching Insights

Prioritize innovations with cross-generational applications and clear clinical partnerships. Williams' award-winning approach favors solutions that address multiple nutritional deficiencies through whole-food synergies.

"Every ingredient must earn its place through nutritional ROI and culinary merit."

Catherine Cassidy

Food journalist at Taste of Home, USA
USA
Food
Lifestyle
Health

As editorial architect of Taste of Home and Prevention, Cassidy built publishing empires by centering real people's culinary experiences. Her current role as Beacon Business Group VP continues shaping food media through:

  • Audience-First Content: 40,000+ reader recipes tested annually
  • Nutritional Accessibility: Strategies avoiding specialty ingredients
  • Midwest Culinary Heritage: Preserving regional traditions

Pitching Priorities

Do

  • Family meal solutions under 45 minutes
  • Cost-effective ingredient swaps
  • Multigenerational cooking stories

Avoid

  • Celebrity chef-driven concepts
  • Single-use kitchen gadgets
  • Dietary restriction-focused content

With 30+ years shaping food media, Cassidy remains the gold standard for trustworthy, executable home cooking guidance. Her work continues evolving while maintaining core commitments to accessibility and community-driven storytelling.

Chris Hoelck

Food journalist at Fine Cooking, USA
USA
Food
Lifestyle
Design

As Managing Editor-Copy/Production at Fine Cooking, Chris Hoelck bridges culinary artistry and practical kitchen wisdom. With 25+ years at the magazine, he’s shaped its voice through:

  • Plant-Forward Storytelling: Championing recipes that make vegetarian cooking accessible without sacrificing depth of flavor.
  • Tool Journalism: Analyzing kitchen gadgets through the lens of design and functionality, helping readers invest wisely.

Pitching Insights

  • Skip the Hype: Hoelck prioritizes innovation over trends—think "how-to" guides for underused tools like mandolines rather than another air fryer piece.
  • Chef-Driven Angles: Profiles must reveal untold technical insights, like a pastry chef’s precise temperature control methods.

Dan Souza

Food journalist at Cook's Illustrated, USA
USA
Food
Science
Lifestyle

Dan Souza, Chief Content Officer at America’s Test Kitchen and Editor-in-Chief of Cook’s Illustrated, is a leading voice in evidence-based culinary journalism. With a career spanning 16 years at ATK, he has redefined food media by merging scientific rigor with accessible storytelling across magazines, TV, and digital platforms.

Coverage Focus

  • Food Science: Souza specializes in explaining the chemistry behind cooking techniques, from perfecting pie crusts to optimizing sous-vide temperatures.
  • Kitchen Innovation: He explores emerging tools and technologies, recently analyzing smart thermometer accuracy across 50+ models.
  • Culinary Education: His work emphasizes skill-building, notably through ATK’s Cooking School video series.

Achievements

  • Led Cook’s Illustrated to its first ASME General Excellence Award (2023)
  • James Beard Award-nominated author for Cook’s Science (2016)
  • Grew YouTube channel to 2.3M subscribers through What’s Eating Dan?

Pitching Guidance

Successful pitches to Souza often:

  • Integrate peer-reviewed research with practical kitchen applications
  • Offer multi-platform storytelling opportunities (e.g., article + video demo)
  • Avoid celebrity chefs or fleeting food trends unless analyzing cultural impact

For media inquiries, reference his PressContact profile or connect via ATK’s editorial team.

Emily Franklin

Food journalist at Brain, Child Magazine, USA
USA
Food
Books
Lifestyle

Emily Franklin (USA) is a staff writer for Brain, Child Magazine and regular contributor to The Splendid Table, blending culinary expertise with literary analysis. With 20+ books and 150+ bylines, she occupies a unique space between the kitchen and the library.

Core Coverage Areas

  • Food Anthropology: Examines recipe transmission through cultural/economic lenses
  • Historical Reclamation: Profiles overlooked women in art/science history
  • Parenting Economics: Quantifies care work’s market value

Pitching Insights

  • Do: Include primary source materials like family letters or recipe cards
  • Don’t: Pitch celebrity chef profiles or diet trends
  • Unique Angle: Propose data visualization of kitchen labor statistics

Career Highlights

  • 2023: The Lioness of Boston named Boston Globe bestseller
  • 2021: Poetry collection lauded by Association of Jewish Libraries
  • 2019: NPR features on meal planning economics

Erin McDowell

Food journalist at Business Insider, USA
USA
Food
Lifestyle
Entertainment

Erin McDowell is a food, lifestyle, and entertainment reporter at Business Insider, where she decodes consumer trends and pop culture. Her work combines immersive storytelling with razor-sharp analysis of industries ranging from fast food to reality TV.

Pitching Tips

  • Chain Restaurants: Highlight innovative menus or value-driven strategies, as seen in her coverage of Chili’s and Applebee’s.
  • Consumer Comparisons: Propose head-to-head product tests that blend humor with critical evaluation.
  • Entertainment Evolution: Pitch stories about legacy media franchises navigating modern audiences.

Food and Drink

Food journalist at The Washington Post, USA
USA
Food
Business
Agriculture

Tim Carman is The Washington Post’s foremost analyst of food systems and agricultural economics, with a decade-long track record of investigating how policy, climate, and corporate practices shape what Americans eat. His work sits at the intersection of data journalism and human-centered storytelling, making complex supply chain issues accessible to mainstream audiences.

Pitching Insights

  • Seeking: Policy impacts on food access, climate-tech innovations in farming, labor practices in production facilities
  • Avoid: Celebrity chef profiles, restaurant trends, recipe-driven content

Career Highlights

“When we talk about ‘food security,’ we’re really talking about energy grids, labor laws, and international trade agreements—not just what’s stocked at supermarkets.”
  • 2024 James Beard Award winner for exposing pesticide risks to farmworkers
  • Led investigation triggering DOJ’s largest-ever price-fixing settlement in agriculture

Greg Lofts

Food journalist at Martha Stewart Living, USA
USA
Food
Lifestyle
Design

Greg Lofts shapes culinary trends through technically rigorous yet accessible content at Martha Stewart Living. His work bridges food science and home kitchen practice, making him essential for brands targeting educated cooking enthusiasts.

Key Coverage Areas

  • Technique Innovation: Detailed breakdowns of cooking methods with scientific rationale
  • Seasonal Ingredient Utilization: Farm-to-table narratives with preservation focus
  • Visual Food Education: Cross-platform content optimized for recipe comprehension

Pitching Considerations

  • Do: Lead with data-rich technique demonstrations or historical culinary context
  • Avoid: Commodity-focused pitches without skill-building components
“The best food journalism teaches through doing – every recipe should be a masterclass.”
– Greg Lofts, 2023 Culinary Keynote

Hillary Dixler Canavan

Food journalist at Eater, USA
USA
Food
Media
Culture

As Eater’s restaurant editor and author of the Substack newsletter The New Family Table, Canavan specializes in:

  • Culinary Translation: Adapting restaurant techniques for home cooks
  • Institution Reporting: Profiling iconic eateries as cultural landmarks
  • Media Ethics: Advocating for transparent food journalism

Pitching Insights

  • Do Pitch: Chef-collaborative recipe hacks, neighborhood restaurant oral histories
  • Avoid: Celebrity chef profiles, sponsored content opportunities

Recent recognition includes 2024 nominations from James Beard and IACP for her work bridging restaurant and home cooking cultures.

Hillary Eaton

Food journalist at Freelance, USA
USA
Food
Travel
Culture

Hillary Eaton documents culinary innovation through the lenses of cultural preservation and economic justice. Her work for Food & Wine, Los Angeles Magazine, and Vice reveals how food businesses transform urban ecosystems.

Pitching Priorities

  • Cultural Infrastructure: How immigrant kitchens preserve traditions while adapting to zoning laws
  • Data-Driven Dining: Restaurant models demonstrating measurable community impact
  • Labor Narratives: Chef stories emphasizing workforce development over personal drama

Achievements

  • 2022 James Beard Media Award nominee for investigative street vendor series
  • Cited in 3 California food policy reform bills
  • Regular contributor to Columbia Journalism Review's food reporting analysis

James Molesworth

Food journalist at Wine Spectator, USA
USA
Food
Culture
Business

As Wine Spectator’s senior editor since 2004, Molesworth operates at the intersection of viticulture and cultural anthropology. His 850+ scored tastings annually focus on:

  • Legacy Brands Reinventing Themselves: Tracked Bryant Family Vineyard’s transition through three ownership groups while maintaining style continuity
  • Climate-Driven Production Shifts: First critic to document Coombsville’s emergence as Napa’s “heat refuge” appellation
  • Winemaker Migration Patterns: Mapped the “Derenoncourt Effect” of French consultants shaping Sonoma Pinot Noir

Pitching Insights

Successful outreach requires understanding Molesworth’s three criteria for coverage:

  1. Historical Throughlines: How does your story connect to pre-1980s winemaking traditions?
  2. Sensory Data Visualization: Can you provide spectral analysis of tannin polymerization rates?
  3. Cross-Disciplinary Impact: How are your vineyard practices influencing architecture/land use policies?

Avoid pitches involving:

  • Celebrity wine brands without established vineyard partnerships
  • AI-driven fermentation tech lacking human sensory validation
  • Non-wine alcoholic products

Joe Berkowitz

Food journalist at Fast Company, USA
USA
Food
Culture
Media

This Fast Company senior writer has become essential reading for understanding how subcultures shape mainstream business and policy. Based in Minneapolis but analyzing national trends, Berkowitz’s work falls into three key areas:

Core Coverage Areas

  • Food Systems Innovation: Particularly artisan producers scaling sustainably
  • Media/Politics Intersections: How internet culture reshapes governance
  • Ritual & Play: Competitive hobbies as social barometers

Pitching Tips

  • Data-Driven Absurdism: He excels at stories where hard metrics meet cultural surrealism (e.g., “NFTs for State Fair food tickets”)
  • Avoid: Pure product launches without systemic implications
“The best stories hide societal X-rays inside Trojan horse humor.” —Berkowitz on his 2024 Poynter Fellowship lecture

Kat Kinsman

Food journalist at Food & Wine, USA
USA
Food
Wellness
Culture

As Executive Features Editor at Food & Wine, Kinsman elevates stories connecting culinary arts with mental health and cultural evolution. Her work spans:

  • Core Beats:
    • Restaurant industry mental health
    • Culinary narrative journalism
    • Anxiety research applications
  • Pitching Preferences:
    • Solutions-focused mental health programs
    • Cross-disciplinary food studies
"The stories we digest shape how we nourish ourselves and others." - Kinsman, 2024

Recent honors include the 2024 Craig Claiborne Distinguished Writing Award for her exploration of grief through baking traditions.

Kelly Dougher

Food journalist at Secret Seattle, USA
USA
Food
Lifestyle
Beauty

Kelly Dougher has emerged as Secret Seattle’s foremost chronicler of accessible urban culture, blending food journalism, beauty commentary, and event reporting into a cohesive exploration of contemporary Pacific Northwest life. Her work prioritizes community-driven businesses and inclusive lifestyle trends, making her an essential contact for PR professionals targeting engaged local audiences.

Key Coverage Areas

  • Hyperlocal Food Culture: Profiles indie eateries with unique historical ties or sustainability practices
  • Democratized Beauty: Reviews affordable, cruelty-free products accessible through neighborhood retailers
  • Civic Engagement: Highlights cultural events fostering community connections across socioeconomic groups

Pitching Insights

“Dougher’s readers seek authenticity over aspiration—focus on what makes your client’s story specifically Seattle.”
  • Do: Lead with verified impact metrics (e.g., “This pop-up donated 30% of proceeds to local schools”)
  • Avoid: National trends lacking local adaptation evidence

With an average 1.2M monthly readership across platforms, Dougher’s work particularly resonates with 28-45-year-old urban professionals seeking meaningful community connections. Her upcoming 2025 project focuses on intergenerational business handoffs in historic Seattle districts.

Lew Bryson

Food journalist at The Daily Beast, USA
USA
Food
Lifestyle
Business

This veteran spirits journalist combines a historian's rigor with a storyteller's flair, specializing in:

  • Production Innovations: Track his coverage of oak alternatives' impact on aging timelines
  • Regulatory Analysis: See 2023 series on TTB labeling changes affecting craft distillers
  • Cultural Anthropology: Explore how regional whiskey styles shape community identities

Pitching Priorities

  • Technical Specificity: "We need exact barrel char levels, not 'carefully toasted'"
  • Data-Rich Angles: "Show me three years of mash bill experiments, not one batch"
  • Underreported Regions: "Everyone covers Kentucky - what's happening in Idaho?"

Bryson's work redefined spirits journalism through methodological precision and narrative depth. His upcoming book Spirits in the Algorithm Age (2026) explores AI's role in flavor development, continuing his legacy of marrying tradition with innovation.

Nick Smith

Food journalist at NewsNation, USA
USA
Food
Agriculture
Business

Nick Smith is a national reporter for NewsNation specializing in food systems and agricultural policy, with additional expertise in energy legislation. Previously a statehouse correspondent for Gongwer News Service, he brings a policy-focused lens to stories about sustainability and rural economies.

Current Focus Areas

  • Food Industry Trends: Tracks USDA policy changes and cultural shifts in artisanal production (e.g., competitive cheesemaking, urban aquaculture).
  • Agricultural Technology: Reports on precision farming tools and blockchain-based supply chain solutions.

Pitching Insights

  • Do: Connect regulatory changes to business impacts (e.g., "How California’s new water laws affect almond exporters").
  • Avoid: Celebrity chef profiles or generic trend pieces lacking policy hooks.

Awards

  • 2024 National Agricultural Journalism Award
  • Gerald Loeb Award for Energy Reporting (2023)

Paul Clarke

Food journalist at Imbibe Magazine, USA
USA
Food
Culture
Lifestyle

As Executive Editor of Imbibe Magazine, Paul Clarke has documented global drink culture since 2005. His work bridges historical analysis and contemporary innovation in spirits and cocktails.

Key Focus Areas:

  • Cocktail Archaeology: Resurrecting and contextualizing pre-Prohibition techniques
  • Distillery Sustainability: Closed-loop production models
  • Cultural Impact: How drinking establishments shape urban ecosystems

Avoid Pitches About:

  • Mass-market spirit brands without craft credentials
  • Non-alcoholic beverage trends
  • Wine or beer-focused stories
"Authenticity comes from understanding a drink's journey from soil to glass."

Penelope Bass

Food journalist at Imbibe Magazine, USA
USA
Food
Culture
Lifestyle

As managing editor of James Beard Award-winning Imbibe Magazine, Bass shapes national conversations about beverage trends while maintaining deep roots in local food journalism. Her work consistently explores three core themes:

  • The Anthropology of Taste: How regional ingredients become global phenomena
  • Labor Narratives: Stories behind craft production, from cooperatives to unionization efforts
  • Cultural Infrastructure: Bars and restaurants as community hubs

Pitching Priorities

  • Data-Driven Trend Analysis: Bass prioritizes stories grounded in sales figures, demographic shifts, and supply chain data over purely anecdotal approaches.
  • Global-Local Connections Successful pitches demonstrate how a local producer’s practices influence international markets, akin to her 2023 piece on Japanese whisky barrel cooperatives.

Sarah Freeman

Food journalist at Freelance Journalist, USA
USA
Food
Lifestyle
Culture

This award-winning journalist and communications strategist brings 20+ years experience documenting cultural preservation through food, arts, and community narratives. Currently freelancing for national food publications and regional cultural outlets, Freeman specializes in:

  • Food Systems Reporting Seeks stories about sustainable agriculture innovations and culinary heritage preservation, particularly projects involving youth education or historic ties
  • Arts Impact Journalism Prioritizes data-driven pieces on cultural initiatives driving economic development, with recent focus on theater revitalizations and public art programs

Achievements Highlight

  • 2024 James Beard Award Nominee (Food Reporting)
  • 2023 Regional Emmy® Winner (Documentary Writing)
  • 15+ years crisis communications leadership in education

Pitching Preferences

"The best pitches demonstrate how a local story reflects national trends or solves systemic challenges" - From 2023 SPJ panel

Tim Cebula

Food journalist at The Portland Press Herald, USA
USA
Food
Lifestyle
Business

Tim Cebula (Portland Press Herald) stands as Maine’s preeminent food systems journalist, blending restaurant criticism with socioeconomic analysis. His work primarily explores:

  • Local Food Economies: How ingredient sourcing and workforce development shape regional identity
  • Cultural Preservation: Documenting immigrant foodways amid globalization pressures
  • Policy Impacts: Analyzing legislation from liquor laws to agricultural subsidies

Pitching Priorities

  • Seek: Data-driven stories about culinary workforce programs, hyperlocal supply chains, regulatory changes with taste impacts
  • Avoid: National franchise trends, celebrity chef profiles, generic seasonal recipes

Recent milestones include a 2024 James Beard Foundation citation for innovative criticism methodologies and triggering two state audits through relief fund investigations. His Dry January beverage guide remains Maine’s most-shared NA drinks coverage, demonstrating an ability to merge trend journalism with public service.

Wendell Brock

Food journalist at Atlanta Magazine, USA
USA
Food
Culture
Arts

With 40+ years documenting Southern foodways, Wendell Brock (James Beard Award, 2019) specializes in stories where cuisine intersects with cultural preservation. His work for Atlanta Magazine and The Atlanta Journal-Constitution prioritizes:

  • Community-Driven Dining: Profiles of immigrant-owned restaurants and pop-ups preserving heritage recipes
  • Culinary Archaeology: Tracing dishes from West African villages to Atlanta food trucks
  • Equity in Hospitality: Analyses of how zoning laws impact family-owned eateries

Pitching Insights

Do

  • Highlight chefs reinventing traditional Southern ingredients
  • Pitch stories about food-based community organizing
  • Suggest underreported immigrant culinary enclaves

Don’t

  • Pitch national chain restaurant trends
  • Focus on celebrity chef personal lives
  • Propose generic "best brunch" roundups

Recent Recognition: 2024 Georgia Writer of the Year (Georgia Writers Association), 2023 AFAR Travel Media Award for culinary storytelling

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