Kevin Roderick is founder, publisher and editor of LA Observed, a website covering local media, politics, news and culture. A native Angeleno, he has reported extensively about the politics, culture and history of Los Angeles and California.
Roderick launched LA Observed in 2003, now widely read by journalists, media professionals, bloggers and politicians and regularly cited in national media.
Before launching LA Observed, Roderick was Los Angeles bureau chief for the Industry Standard magazine. He spent two decades as staff writer, state editor and senior editor at the Los Angeles Times, supervising award-winning projects and front page stories. He shared in two Pulitzer Prizes awarded for staff coverage while an editor on the Metro staff.
A contributing writer at Los Angeles Magazine, Roderick's work has appeared in Smithsonian, the Los Angeles Times Magazine, the Los Angeles Times Book Review, C, the Jewish Journal of Greater Los Angeles and LA Architect.
He co-authored Wilshire Boulevard: Grand Concourse of Los Angeles, a Los Angeles Times bestseller and finalist for the Southern California Independent Booksellers Association book of the year honor.
His first book, The San Fernando Valley: America's Suburb, won rave praise from California State Librarian Emeritus Kevin Starr and remains the leading work on the vast basin of 1.7 million inhabitants.
Roderick regularly appears in the media as a commentator on Los Angeles. He has been interviewed by the New York Times, Washington Post, USA Today, Los Angeles Daily News and Los Angeles Business Journal as well as, NBC News, C-SPAN, NPR and American Public Media. He also appears regularly on local TV.
He has moderated programs for Zocalo and the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books, and has been a journalism judge for PEN Center USA and the Online News Association. He is a former member of Investigative Reporters and Editors, Inc. and the National Institute for Computer-Assisted Reporting.
Roderick is the director of the UCLA Newsroom website.
Kevin Roderick on KCRW
More from KCRW
‘Some threat, some menace, and some humor’ at L7’s punk fest
MusicGen X rockers L7 are doing more than nostalgia tours – they’re lifting up a new generation of rockers, especially women, with a recent festival in DTLA.
Cheat sheet: These are the steps fire victims need to take to make an insurance claim
WildfiresEvacuation-related expenses might be covered by home insurance. Get a copy of your full policy and keep all related records and receipts.
Got parking in Inglewood? Congrats, you’re winning
TransportationWith the new stadiums in Inglewood, businesses with parking are thriving, while those without feel the city’s economic boom is passing them by.
Can gentrification fears stop teardown? Tenants hope so
Housing & DevelopmentSmall business owners and renters are trying to prevent demolition of their Boyle Heights building — by arguing that solving the housing crisis shouldn’t worsen gentrification.
LA wildfires: Resources for finding and offering help
WildfiresIn need of resources during LA’s ongoing fire emergency? Want to help, but not sure how? Here’s a list.
LA homes near wilderness are built differently for wildfires. Should the suburbs follow?
WildfiresThe Palisades Fire torched homes in suburban neighborhoods. But they weren’t built with wildfires in mind, unlike those areas near vegetation.
The Oral History of Star Magazine
ArtsA teen magazine so daring, so outrageous, so scandalizing and sexually suggestive that it only lasted…five issues.
Ballona Wetlands trips get generations of LA kids into nature
EducationField trips to the Ballona Wetlands bring environmental education to kids who might not spend time in nature.
Heat Hawks: Topanga neighbors step up as volunteers amid fires
WildfiresA DIY volunteer group is helping local firefighters and Topanga residents, as Palisades Fire continues to burn.