City & State New York
October 17, 2016
Mara Gay
CITY HALL REPORTER, THE WALL STREET JOURNAL
Birthday: 9/10
Twitter: @maragay
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OR SOME COMMITTED Citi Bike riders, the bike share service is just a way to get around. But for Mara Gay, it’s a part of her deep commitment to being a City Hall reporter. “You actually get to touch, taste, feel the beat,” Gay says. “You can write about a Citi Bike program and then you can ride a Citi Bike! For me, that’s a dream beat.” It’s just one of the perks of covering City Hall for this longtime New Yorker. “You’re not just writing about what politicians said – we have access here to politicians unlike anybody else,” she says. Gay grew up a political junkie, talking politics with her family around the dinner table. She was the editor-inchief of the White Plains High School newspaper. Now she writes for the one of the country’s most prominent newspapers in a newsroom that’s been noticed for its scoops. Despite her love for the beat, Gay is most proud of work writing about 9/11 first responder Marvin Bethea. He worked for a private hospital during the terrorist attacks, and has not yet received government health benefits. “He’s still waiting,” Gay says, “but I know that (the story) was helpful and I think that things are moving now.” Talking about her story, Gay’s investment is clear. “Whether it’s a Citi Bike or a new park or crime or an affordable housing crisis, I feel really passionate about the city and the people who live here,” she says.
Where did you go to college? The University of Michigan If you didn’t work in politics/government, what would you do? A high school social studies teacher
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