Akayla Gardner ‘21 (public affairs journalism) is a White House Reporter whose journey to covering two presidential administrations began at Ohio State. Gardner currently works as a White House Reporter for MS NOW, and she previously served as a White House correspondent for Bloomberg News where she reported breaking news and enterprise stories with a focus on politics, policy and the economy.
With four years of experience covering the White House under two administrations, Gardner’s reporting has been featured on not only MSN and Bloomberg News but also TIME, Washington Post, CNBC, CNN, Yahoo Finance and many other outlets. This reality still occasionally makes her pause, and there are specific moments that stand out in her memory.
“In 2024, I was traveling regularly with the president and vice president. During a pivotal moment in the campaign, I was with the White House press pool in Nevada when President Biden tested positive for COVID-19,” Gardner said. That was the last time he was seen publicly before he dropped out of the race.
“The atmosphere felt historic and intense,” and she said seeing the president walk off the plane that day is an image that has stayed with her.
Gardner’s path to the White House began at Ohio State when she walked into The Lantern newsroom freshman year and asked to start writing. She began by pitching campus events and contributing stories before formally reporting through Lantern practicum courses.
In 2020, Gardner covered a Democratic presidential debate in Westerville, Ohio, for The Lantern. Credentialed alongside national reporters, she entered the spin room and interviewed party officials and presidential candidates.
“That experience solidified my desire to cover politics,” she said. “Having that level of access and speaking directly to voters was thrilling.”
As she refined her writing and reporting skills, Gardner’s interests expanded to broadcast journalism after touring newsrooms in Washington, D.C., with the Society of Professional Journalists chapter at Ohio State. She began producing television packages and earned the role of Lantern TV news director, where she put her minor in media production and analysis into practice.
Gardner served as special projects director for The Lantern her senior year and produced an investigative documentary that went on to earn a regional Emmy Award. The documentary examined a coach’s dismissal and broader mental health concerns within athletics. Gardner followed the story persistently, reaching out to athletes and working to build trust with sources who were hesitant to speak on the record or on camera.
“It taught me patience,” she said, adding that she still receives messages from coaches and athletes across the country who have seen issues similar to those reflected in the story.
Gardner also helped re-establish a chapter of the National Association of Black Journalists at Ohio State, building a support network that encouraged her to pursue television journalism and opportunities in Washington. Her work later was recognized through the Paul Miller Washington Reporting Fellowship, a prestigious program in the nation’s capital that has supported generations of accomplished reporters.
In addition to her experience with The Lantern, Gardner also completed internships with the Big Ten Network, CNN and NBC’s Today Show before her time as a White House reporter.
Gardner says she still relies on the fundamentals she learned as a student journalist: careful transcription, clean writing, sharp editing and strong news judgment.
“Like athletes practicing the basics, journalists have to continuously refine core skills,” she said.
Those habits, formed in a college newsroom, now guide her reporting from the center of American power.
Article by student Carly Illos