Whitney Burney joined the News 8 team in June of 2019. She was born and raised in Grand Rapids, Michigan and she’s so excited to be back home.
Whitney attended City High School (Go Pegasi!) and then went on to study journalism and political science at Michigan State University.
Before she left MSU, Whitney interned at several TV stations, including WXYZ in Detroit, WLNS in Lansing and HOMTV, which is a public access channel in Meridian Township. Whitney also reported and anchored for Michigan State’s student-run newscast, “Focal Point News.” One of her stories earned her an award from the Society of Professional Journalists. She also earned several student Emmy nominations for her work.
After graduation, Whitney landed her first job in Lynchburg, Virginia working as a reporter for ABC 13 News. Some of the stories she covered there include a tornado that devastated several families and businesses, an investigation into local school spending and the Unite The Right Rally in Charlottesville. Whitney’s work during the rally helped to earn the station an Edward Murrow award for best newscast.
When Whitney came to WOOD TV8, she started as a general assignment reporter. You can now catch her on the desk every Saturday and Sunday after she was promoted to weekend evening anchor.
Whitney has helped produce two Black History Month specials, covered 2020 protests following the death of George Floyd and the Oxford school shooting on the east side of the state. She also worked on an investigative story in which a family spoke about a culture of bias in a local school district. Whitney was recently named the Reporter of the Year in Market 2 by the Michigan Association of Broadcasters for her work in 2021.
Outside of work, Whitney is a proud member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. In her free time, she loves to travel and try new restaurants.
If you have any story ideas, email her at whitney.burney@woodtv.com. Be sure to say hello when you see her in the community!
