Biography

Born and raised in Miami, Laura Morel attended Miami Dade College and later moved to Boston, where she graduated in 2011 from Emerson College with a bachelor’s degree in journalism. She completed internships at the Miami Herald, The Dallas Morning News and the South Florida Sun Sentinel before landing her first full-time job at the Bradenton Herald. The Tampa Bay Times hired her in 2012, where she has covered breaking news and public safety. This year, Morel was among a team of reporters who published a data-driven investigative project about police activity at Wal-Mart stores and the burden the large retailer places on law enforcement. She recently was assigned to the courts beat, covering criminal cases and legal affairs. When she’s not at work, Morel practices yoga and often travels to South Florida to visit family. She lives in St. Petersburg with her boyfriend and her chihuahua, Peter.