Liz Landers: From Tallahassee Roots to White House Correspondent

Elizabeth “Liz” Landers, born on August 11 1990 in Tallahassee Florida has developed a name for herself as a top American journalist who is admired for her astute political reporting and White House coverage. Growing up, she was exposed to media and public affairs due to her father who was a former television news anchor and the lawyer who had ties to Florida’s political and environmental policy circles.

Her involvement in the media and the political environment around her was strengthened after the close scrutiny she witnessed for the 2000 election recount in her native Florida and her hometown that eventually sparked her curiosity in politics and that has stayed with her since. Landers studied at Maclay School in Tallahassee before graduating from Tufts University with a major in political science a Bachelor of Arts degree in 2013. Apart from being an enthusiastic student-athlete and competing in pole vault as part of track and field team of the university, one of her other passions was being a regular on the student newspaper (The Tufts Daily).

Their fashion editorial work also caught the eye of the editors of Glamour and Cosmopolitan magazines during her college internships. In her early journalistic career, at 15, Landers was a reporter who captured and interviewed the then Senator Barack Obama.

In 2013, Landers started working as a freelance news assistant at CNN. An avid White House producer and a correspondent with the network, Landers covered lots of issues from congressional hill and executive to Capitol Hill affairs. At the height of her career as a political and political affairs reporter, one of her biggest highlights was the coverage of the Bernie Sanders presidential campaign and she described the experience as one of her greatest achievements.

Her professional journey took an interesting turn when she joined Vice News as the lead political correspondent. The work done by the team there earned her two prestigious awards; first an Emmy, and then later the Webby. She was recognized mainly in two categories – the 2022 midterm election coverage and the fight of the election deniers for the main oversight roles. She interviewed a number of high-profile dignitaries, namely VP Kamala Harris, Antony Blinken, and even Steve Bannon. Scribes who cover the Vice President usually find themselves under fire. But not when they are on the level of Vice News Tonight where Landers was not just a guest anchor but a political correspondent at the channel. She rose to the position of chief political correspondent. Her work there was Mostly praised for its in-depth coverage of the midterm elections and the election deniers’ attempts in seeking key oversight roles.

Digital disinformation was a major focus for Landers when she joined Scripps News as the national security correspondent after the Vice News layoff of 2023. In August 2025, PBS revealed the news that their correspondent for the White House would be Liz Landers starting in September. On national politics, the Trump administration and the public television’s flagship news program – NewsHour, are some of the areas that she reports on in this new position. She was chosen in 2023 by the Schmidt Futures International Strategy Forum to be a fellow besides an active member of different online communities through which she shares with the audiences her insights on public affairs.

Landers was wed off to CNN anchor Jim Acosta after 2 years at the wedding hall in 2026 that turned out to be a very eventful and grand party. Landers is at present living in the capital Washington D.C. Landers continued as a journalist that made her mark by standing by the people in their difficult situations, doing the hard work in the field, and revealing the intricacies of politics. Her journey shows one that a person can do a lot if they are driven and passionate. And that was Landers – the reporter with roots in local journalism and now has a national platform.