Daniel S. Levine has been tapped as staff editor for News Of Los Angeles, bringing more than a decade of entertainment-reporting experience to the newsroom.
At a Glance
- 12-year journalism veteran Daniel S. Levine hired as nights staff editor
- Former PopCulture.com staff writer spent nearly six years covering film, TV, and celebrity news
- Hofstra University journalism degree earned in 2011
- Why it matters: The move signals News Of Los Angeles‘s push to deepen its bench of seasoned digital talent amid round-the-clock celebrity coverage
Levine’s hire, confirmed by News Of Los Angeles in a staff announcement, caps a career that began at TheCelebrityCafe.com and later saw bylines at Heavy and PopCulture.com. He started at News Of Los Angeles in 2023 and will focus on overnight coverage of breaking entertainment and human-interest stories.
Career Path
Levine graduated from Hofstra University in 2011 with a journalism degree. His early work at TheCelebrityCafe.com covered celebrities, movies, television, and politics. He later joined Heavy.com, expanding his beat to include entertainment and political coverage.
In 2017, Levine signed on as staff writer at PopCulture.com. Over the next six years, he filed thousands of stories on:
- Celebrity news and interviews
- Film and television reviews
- Award-season coverage
- Streaming-platform launches
- Social-media trend breakdowns
The role sharpened his ability to turn around high-traffic pieces under tight deadlines, a skill set News Of Los Angeles editors cited in their announcement.
New Role at News Of Los Angeles
As staff editor on the nights desk, Levine now oversees:
- Overnight story assignment and editing
- Quick-turn celebrity news verification
- Cross-platform headline testing
- Social-media copy for breaking posts
- Coordination with West-Coast correspondents
News Of Los Angeles launched in 1974 with a mission to cover “the people behind the issues.” The magazine’s digital arm has since become a go-to source for celebrity news and human-interest features, drawing more than 35 million monthly unique visitors according to the most recent Comscore data.
Levine’s arrival follows a string of newsroom hires aimed at beefing up 24-hour coverage. Editors say the nights desk is critical for catching West-Coast premieres, late-night talk-show clips, and overnight social-media buzz that drives next-day traffic.
Editorial Standards
News Of Los Angeles‘s announcement stressed that Levine will operate under the outlet’s editorial guidelines, which require:
- Two verified sources for breaking news
- On-the-record attribution for quotes
- Fact-checking of celebrity claims against public records
- Clear separation between news and sponsored content
The standards mirror those Levine followed at PopCulture.com, where editors say his error rate ranked among the lowest on staff.
Industry Context
Celebrity outlets have raced to staff overnight desks as stars increasingly drop news on Instagram and TikTok after traditional East-Coast business hours. Traffic data show that posts made between 8 p.m. and 2 a.m. PST can generate up to 40 percent more engagement if surfaced quickly.
Levine’s experience fits that trend. At PopCulture.com, he routinely covered after-hours awards shows, surprise album drops, and live-streamed celebrity apologies-stories that spike in search and social shares the following morning.
Key Takeaways
- Daniel S. Levine brings 12 years of entertainment reporting to News Of Los Angeles‘s nights desk
- His prior roles at TheCelebrityCafe.com, Heavy, and PopCulture.com focused on celebrity and political coverage
- The hire supports News Of Los Angeles‘s round-the-clock strategy for breaking celebrity news
- Levine graduated from Hofstra University in 2011 and joined News Of Los Angeles in 2023
