I’m the former lead COVID-19 reporter for The Daily Beast, where for more than a year, I had top epidemiologists on speed dial. I tirelessly covered super-spreaders, hot spots, shaky reopenings, and how this insanity could eventually end. When I quit, I wrote a viral essay on burnout and started speaking publicly about trauma recovery and journalism. Throughout my journalism career, I’ve completed groundbreaking investigative reports on subjects ranging from crime and education to politics. I’ve also written first-person essays on what it means to witness a murder or to experience sexual-assault, and I was the first reporter to name the identity of the Golden State Killer. I have one eye on Texas at all times. I’ve worked as a local crime reporter for the The Waco Tribune-Herald, fact-checked at a travel magazine and done freelance political reporting for The Texas Observer. I graduated from McGill University in Montreal.
Read my work, follow me on twitter @oliviamesser, support my Patreon, or send me an email: oh.messer (at) gmail (dot) com
Olivia Messer 
Olivia, great article on misogyny in the Texas Legislature,. I wrote a chapter about the sexism of Texas politics in my history of Texas House Speakers, “The House Will Come to Order: How The Texas Speaker Became a Power in State and National Politics.” If you get a chance to read it, I would love to get your response.
– Michael Phillips
Thanks, Michael! I appreciate it — so glad that this issue is getting more attention. I’ll definitely look into the book when things calm down.
Hi Olivia,
I saw your report from Waco on the Ed Schultz show. Nice job. I hope MSNBC and NBC News use you a lot more often. You should apply for work at NBC News/MSNBC as a TV reporter at 30 Rock here in NYC.
Best,
Joe Aiello
Thank you for the kind words, Joe!
In reference to the article about Baylor football players and Jane Doe, the volleyball player. Mud sharks get what they deserve and coal burning will always hurt your soul
Dear Miss Messer, just read your #metoo article – per usual – great work and boils down not just the news but the often untold and most important things that need to be discussed. Ultimately, these are stories about power and not having the courage to call out those who misuse it – male/female. For my part I apologize if I have come across in any comments or messages as “creepy” as you noted it probably is difficult to tell whether a person is well intentioned or just creepy in this day and age, I guess that social media opens another front for women to be on guard from . From a male standpoint, I think the past week has been an Education for me that in writing, talking to someone, I have had no understanding of how an approach no matter how “well intentioned” needs to be more thoughtful to the world we live in. Thank you for your work,.
My late wife worked for the Texas House in the 70’s and 80’s. She was an attractive blond in her 20’s at the time. The harassment and attempted assaults were horrific. She had no place to report except for female house members. Yes, this must change. Please go forward.
I just finished your article on the texas football players. I am beyond stunned when multiple sodomies (and I am a gay middle aged man) do not constitute a prison sentence of any kind. this is horrible.
Gorgeous
I just read your article on Douglas Hodge(College entrance scandal), Take pity on the poor man! He is a stay-at-home parent! Oh! his children are now all college graduates. I CAN SEE HIS CONCERN they couldn’t even get into college without cheating, so naturally he must take care of them now!
Nice work on MSNBC, 3/21 🙏😊 Michael