Meet, Talia Kirkland

Talia Kirkland is a reporter for WPXI in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. She joined the team in January 2022 and quickly began covering some of the region's most significant news stories. Within her first month on the job, the Fern Hollow Bridge, which connects the Regent Square and Squirrel Hill neighborhoods, collapsed. On the day of the collapse, President Joe Biden visited the site. As a Pittsburgh native, Kirkland provided live updates, discussing Biden’s infrastructure plan and interviewing neighbors and public officials.

Throughout her tenure at WPXI, she has dedicated herself to amplifying the voices and addressing the concerns of Black and brown communities. Through her ongoing series, "Pittsburgh Gets Real," she sheds light on crucial issues, including racism, housing and healthcare inequities, and police reform, ensuring that marginalized voices in the region are heard. Kirkland has dedicated her time to thoroughly examining crime, speaking with victims' families, highlighting community organizations working to address the rising violent crime rates, and holding public officials accountable.

Before returning home, Kirkland worked in Harrisburg, PA, where she covered various political topics, including one of the most tumultuous elections of this generation, all while navigating a global pandemic. During her time in the capital city, she also launched Project Education, which involved hosting weekly roundtable discussions with stakeholders about the return to the classroom in 2021. In recognition of her work, Kirkland received first place in media from the Pennsylvania Bar Association in 2021 for her investigative reporting on a no-knock warrant.

Kirkland has worked as a multimedia reporter for Fox News Channel, covering significant national events such as the Bill Cosby trial and the Pittsburgh synagogue shooting. She has traveled across the country to report on various stories, including the General Motors plant closure in Lordstown, Ohio; Hurricane Dorian in Florida; and the search for missing University of Iowa student Mollie Tibbetts in Iowa. Kirkland began her career in television news in Clarksburg, West Virginia, after transitioning from a background in marketing. She graduated from Duquesne University with an undergraduate degree in Journalism and a Master's of Science in Media Technology and Arts.

Kirkland is a proud member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. and the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ). She enjoys mentoring college students studying broadcast journalism at local universities. Recently, she was recognized as the Duquesne Duke of the Decade and named one of the New Pittsburgh Courier's Fab 40 under 40.