Justin Mitselmakher. Journalist. Digital Curator.
about me
Justin Mitselmakher is a multimedia journalist based in New York City. He is a production assistant at NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt and has worked in locations ranging from the New York metropolitan area, Chişinău, Moldova, Honolulu, and back again.
First-gen with both parents from the former Soviet Union, Justin learned the importance of ethical, quality journalism early on. His work highlights underrepresented communities, art, culture, and strives to capture the fleeting moments of this ever-changing world.
Entertainment news was his first love and embodiment of the American dream. An escape from the gender norms plaguing him at school, he remembers his third-grade eyes darting through the glittering pages of People during recess. Around the same time, Justin started a 9-year journey of acting and theatre lessons, eventually training at the Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute. His acting background inspired a career in journalism — one where he can ditch the script and bring real stories to life.
Justin embraces the multifaceted nature of journalism through production, print, reporting, on-air and digital roles. His writing is published in the Long Island Press, Hawaii News Now, the Marie Colvin Center for International Reporting, the Garnette Report and The Statesman. Justin also spearheaded Instagram and TikTok coverage at Hawaii News Now and launched a student ambassador social media program at Stony Brook University.
He was a founding member of the Stony Brook Media Group — the university’s only student-led broadcast news outlet. Justin produced and anchored segments — including coverage of the war in Ukraine, using his Russian-speaking ability to conduct interviews with refugees. His news packages for the program aired on ESPN and SNY. A day after his college graduation, he embarked on a journey to Moldova as a foreign correspondent for the Marie Colvin Center, where he immersed himself in the country's Ukrainian refugee crisis and reported on the unique geopolitical climate within the Eastern European republic.
His multimedia project "The Village: Landmarks of the HIV/AIDS Epidemic" won a Hearst Award in late 2023. In the same year, the SBU School of Communications and Journalism awarded Justin the Matthew T. Crosson Memorial Scholarship for student journalists who pursue public affairs journalism and advance public discourse. In 2022, he was bestowed the Marcy McGinnis Scholarship for Broadcast Journalism. Justin graduated summa cum laude in the top two percent of his class.
When he's not reporting, he's absorbing. Whether it's social media discourse, exploring new art exhibitions, scoring Broadway lottery tickets or uncovering unsuspecting paths in Central Park — he seeks inspiration and adventure wherever they may lie.
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