Ava-joye Burnett is an award-winning journalist who joined Scripps News in April of 2023 as a national political correspondent. Since joining Scripps News, Ava-joye has covered the federal criminal indictment of former President Donald Trump over the alleged mishandling of classified documents. Ava-joye is also part of a team that covered the historic Supreme Court ruling that prohibited the consideration of race in college admissions.
Prior to Scripps News, Ava-joye spent seven years as a general assignment reporter at CBS Baltimore (WJZ). While at WJZ, Ava-joye won an Emmy for outstanding breaking or spot news while covering a deadly gas explosion in Baltimore. During hours of extensive coverage, her numerous live shots took viewers inside people's homes and revealed the impact of the powerful and tragic explosion. Ava-joye also worked at WRIC-TV in Richmond, Va. While there, she won a Salute to Excellence Award from the National Association of Black Journalists, for her three part series on disproportionately high drowning rates among African Americans.
Ava-joye started her reporting career in Hagerstown, Md. She's also worked at WUSA-TV in the nation's capital behind the scenes, as well as at CTV-News in Prince George's County, Md. She was born in Jamaica and still has deep roots there with many extended family members on the island. Ava-joye graduated from American University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in journalism, she also has a Masters of Studies in Law from the University of Southern California Gould School of Law.
Ava-joye is a prior Board of Governor's member of the National Capital Chesapeake Bay Chapter of The National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. She’s also a proud member of Zeta Phi Beta, Sorority Incorporated and the National Association of Black Journalists.
Email: Ava-joye.Burnett@Scripps.com
