email: pointer.alyssa@gmail.com     

cell: (678) 465-8089

Alyssa Pointer is an accomplished visual storyteller based in Atlanta, GA. After earning her B.A. in photojournalism and African American studies from Western Kentucky University in 2016, she quickly established herself in the field, working as a staff multimedia journalist for The Chicago Tribune and The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. In 2024 she joined Thomson Reuters as a video journalist, where she traveled the East Coast covering breaking news, extreme weather and the 2024 Presidential election. She currently leads her creative ventures at Leola Studios, a company named after her grandmother, that focuses on providing storytelling imagery for profit and non profit businesses.

Throughout her career, Alyssa’s work has not only been recognized by prestigious institutions—garnering multiple accolades like New York Times Photos of the Year, several Time Magazine 100 Photos of the Year honors, and awards from the Atlanta Press Club—but has also made a significant impact on communities. 

Beyond her creative pursuits, Alyssa is dedicated to mentoring the next generation of journalists. She has served as a photography coach for photojournalism workshops and has moderated panels at the National Association of Black Journalists annual conventions. Additionally, her leadership roles—such as serving on the boards of the National Association of Black Journalists Visual Task Force and the Atlanta Photojournalism Seminar—highlight her commitment to fostering diversity and excellence within the industry.

Whether collaborating with global news agencies, for profit and nonprofit clients or engaging directly with communities through her projects, Alyssa Pointer continues to explore the power of visual storytelling.

She is available to travel. 

View her commercial portfolio here.              

CV

Education 

2016 B.A. Photojournalism minor in African American Studies - Western Kentucky University


Group Exhibition

2019 MFON: Women Photographers of the African Diaspora - In Conversation: Visual Meditation on Black Masculinity Philadelphia, PA


Professional Affiliations
National Press Photographers Association - Member

The Atlanta Photojournalism Seminar - Board Member

The National Association of Black Journalists Visual Task Force - Board Member

Diversify Photo - Member

The Authority Collective - Member

Women Photograph - Member


Awards and Recognition

2017 Hearst Journalism Awards - First Place Multimedia I/Narrative Storytelling – Features Competition

2017 The Atlanta Photojournalism Seminar - First Place - Short Term Documentary Project

2019 Time Magazine - Top 100 Photos of the Year 

2020 Time Magazine - Top 100 Photos of the Year 

2020 Cox Enterprises - Gov. Cox Award

2021 Time Magazine - Top 100 Photos of the Year 

2021 National Press Photographers Association Best of Photojournalism - Honorable Mention

2021 The Atlanta Press Club Award of Excellence 

Bartlett & Steele Awards presented by Donald W. Reynolds Center for Business Journalism – Silver Medal 2022 (see project here)

Women Photograph - Year in Photos – 2022


Select Press 

2020 - Roughed Up, Zip-Tied, and Under Arrest: Female photographers on documenting the George Floyd protests.

Black Shutter Podcast - Episode 48

Gaining Ground: The New Georgia Podcast - Episode 2

The Lead Podcast: Alyssa Pointer On People-Focused Photojournalism - Listen 


Workshops

Participant - Eddie Adams Workshop 2021

Participant - New York Times Student Journalism Institute 2016

Participant - The Mountain Workshops

Participant - The Kalish Workshops 2022

Instructor - University of Georgia Woodall Weekend Workshop  2019

Speaker - UGA Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication - McGill Symposium  for Journalistic Courage 2021 

Instructor - Picture Kentucky Photojournalism and Multimedia Workshop 2022

Instructor - University of Georgia Woodall Weekend Workshop  2023

Partial Client List

- The New York Times

- Reuters

-Bloomberg

- The Wall Street Journal

- ProPublica 

- Amazon

- AARP

- Apple Inc.

- No Kid Hungry

- Trust for Public Land

Using Format