Melissa Russo serves as anchor of News 4 New York's 6 and 11 p.m. Saturday evening newscasts. In addition, Russo, News 4 New York's award-winning Government Affairs Reporter, has been covering New York politics and policy for more than a decade. Joining WNBC’s unmatched political team in 1998, Russo frequently is the first to break major stories including the breakdown of the computerized case-management system used by the Administration for Children's Services (ACS), Mayor Michael Bloomberg's plans to raise property taxes and his plan to close local firehouses.

During her tenure, Russo also first reported the death of baby Matthew Perilli who died in an unsupervised childcare center as City officials bungled an inspection; uncovered the Meals-on-Wheels mistakes in the Bronx that left frail elderly New Yorkers waiting days for food; provided advanced details of the final World Trade Center Memorial plans and revealed that thousands of childcare slots were being wasted because of bureaucratic clumsiness; and in an interview with Russo, the fire union president admitted that New York City firefighters have a drinking problem.

In addition to Russo's daily coverage of City Hall, she has drawn attention to the struggles of New York's most vulnerable citizens, including children, the elderly and the homeless, accumulating a body of work that has repeatedly led to changes in government policy.

Russo was the first reporter to obtain access inside the city's troubled Emergency Assistance Unit, uncovering and documenting the deplorable conditions and senseless policies that harm children. In August, 2002, Mayor Bloomberg ordered a multi-agency investigation after Russo broke the story of Jason-Eric Wilson, a teenager who committed suicide after experiencing many problems in the city's homeless shelter system, exposing how the city had denied the Wilson family emergency services, including food, even though they qualified, leading to disciplinary action against several city employees and sweeping changes in the homeless shelter system. She also first reported that New York's emergency food supply ran out, prompting an immediate infusion of 2 million dollars in funding the next day.

In 2001, the City Council played Russo's series on the denial of emergency shelter to domestic violence victims at an oversight hearing.

Russo also broke the story concerning a loophole in a new state adoption law that threatened to separate foster children from their lifelong caregivers. After watching her report on News 4 New York's "Live at Five," Gov. George Pataki contacted Russo directly to say that he would introduce legislation to close the loophole, which he did. When the governor signed the bill into law, he personally presented Russo with her own personal signed copy.

During the summer of 2000, Russo uncovered that the Giuliani administration was quietly suing senior citizens for much of their retirement savings to recoup Medicaid dollars spent on their spouses' nursing home care. After the reports aired, Mayor Rudy Giuliani called for an end to the policy, which threatened to force many seniors into public assistance. Russo’s honest and incisive reports on issues affecting seniors have earned her several honors including the 2003 American Society on Aging Media Award for Exceptional Coverage of Aging Issues, The Voice Award from the NYC Council of Senior Centers and the Media Makes a Difference Award from New York's Joint Public Action Campaign for the Elderly. Russo’s particular interest in covering senior policy is a direct result of her close relationship with and involvement in the care of her now deceased grandmother, Norma.

Russo's time in front of a camera began as a child actor in television commercials, which helped pay her private school tuition. Early on she displayed an interest in learning how others live. She refined that interest in her many of her early work experiences, from volunteering at a Harlem storefront school to interning at the White House and working for The New York Times Editorial Page during college.

While an undergraduate at Tufts University, Russo wrote several articles that were published in The New York Times, including an op-ed on a controversial policy limiting free speech on the Tufts campus. One day after Russo's Op-Ed appeared in print, Tufts rescinded its policy.

Prior to joining News 4 New York, Melissa began her TV journalism career as an original member of the NY1 News Political Unit where she covered all aspects of New York City politics and government, generating numerous exclusives and producing investigative series on city and state politics, policies and programs. In addition, she hosted "Inside City Hall," NY1's live hour-long political program, regularly interviewing senators, mayors and various other newsmakers. During her tenure at NY1, she videotaped hundreds of her own stories, sparking a strong passion for photography, which she pursues in her spare time.

Before NY1, she served as an associate producer/video journalist for the TIME, Inc. Magazine Group where she produced television segments regarding stories appearing in the magazines of TIME, Inc. She has also held several prestigious internships, including a position in the Office of Media Relations at the White House, and a post as the sole assistant to The New York Times editorial board.

Russo's undercover videotape of the deplorable conditions inside New York City's Emergency Assistance Unit for the Homeless earned her the New York Press Club's highest honor, The Gold Typewriter Award for Outstanding Public Service. The videotape was cited by a State Supreme Court Justice as key evidence in a contempt finding against the Giuliani Administration.

In regards to her work, Russo finds it most rewarding the ability to give people a voice, and she earned several Emmy nominations, including one for News 4 New York's "Cry For Help," an investigation that exposed the shortage of state-funded mental health services for children in foster care who have suffered serious physical and sexual abuse, which won the Child Welfare League of America's National Journalism Award and the New York state Broadcaster's Association's honor for Outstanding Hard News Story. Russo garnered an AP award for her coverage of the James Davis Shooting, was honored by Brookwood Child Care for her commitment to children's issues and won the New York Press Club's Best Continuing Coverage Award for her work on the 2001 NYC Mayor's race. Russo was honored at the 51st Annual New York Emmy Award ceremony in 2008 for her win in the category of "Politics/Government."

Russo holds a Master's degree in journalism from Columbia University and a Bachelor's degree in political science from Tufts University. She is a member of The Inner Circle and The New York Press Club, and resides in Manhattan.

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