Directory Profile

Desa Philadelphia has worked as a journalist for many years, in staff positions at The PBS NewsHour and Time Magazine, as a contributor to CNN, and as a freelance writer, covering politics, culture and entertainment. She has also provided analysis on politics and entertainment for regional and national television and radio programs, on networks that include NPR, PBS and MSNBC. Prior to coming the SCA, Desa was a founding partner of Language Fish LLC, a communications consulting and translation services firm. 

Desa is a graduate of City College of New York (CUNY), where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in English Literature; and the University of Southern California, where she earned a Master's in Public Diplomacy, a joint degree from the Annenberg School for Communication & Journalism, and the School of International Relations. She is the author of 111 Shops in Los Angeles That You Must Not Miss—an exploration of the city’s history and personality through the lens of its retail culture.