Drew Friedman has been covering the federal workforce, pay and benefits for Federal News Network since March 2022. She has written hundreds of stories on topics that affect federal personnel, such as recruitment and retention, retirement services, federal pay systems, the Thrift Savings Plan, telework, labor-management relations and civil service reform. She also covers the management of agencies including the Office of Personnel Management and the Social Security Administration.
As part of Federal News Network’s radio programming, Drew co-hosts Your Federal Life, a weekly radio show that launched in January 2023 and covers federal pay, benefits and other workforce topics. Drew also appears regularly on the Federal Drive with Tom Temin and has had various live spots on WTOP, Federal News Network’s sister station.
Before joining Federal News Network, Drew worked at local TV news station WJLA for more than two years. During that time, she produced the daily broadcast news program Government Matters, covering the business and management of the federal government. At WJLA, Drew also worked as a production assistant for live news broadcasts on channels 7 and 8 in the national capital region.
In addition to Federal News Network, Drew’s reporting has appeared in ESPN and Arlington Magazine, as well as the Cavalier Daily, the University of Virginia’s student newspaper. Before beginning her career in journalism, Drew held a couple marketing roles in the technology and film sectors for about two years.
Drew graduated from the University of Virginia in 2018 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in media studies and a minor in studio art. She earned highest distinction on her senior thesis, in which she analyzed the intersection of media and protest in both historical and contemporary contexts. As a student, Drew also spent a semester studying at the University of Queensland in Brisbane, Australia.
In her free time, Drew enjoys camping, hiking and long-distance running, and is an avid New York Times crossword enthusiast. Drew grew up in Northern Virginia and currently resides in Washington, D.C.
