NEW ORLEANS — Leigha McNeil is an Emmy award-winning journalist born and raised in New Orleans.
She grew up in New Orleans East with her parents and younger brother but spent much of her time in Uptown New Orleans where she attended the Lusher Charter School.
After graduating from high school, Leigha attended the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. During her junior year at UL Lafayette, Leigha started working as a production assistant at News 15, the FOX and NBC affiliate in the area.
Before her senior year, she worked her way up to Weekend Anchor and Multimedia Journalist. She graduated in 2019 with her Bachelor of Arts in Broadcast Journalism with a minor in English.
After spending two years at News 15, Leigha headed to Waco, Texas where she worked as the Weekend Anchor and a Multimedia Journalist. During her time in Waco, Leigha covered countless stories on Ft. Hood, the largest military installation in the country, including the murder of Vanessa Guillen. In Waco, she also helped create the Emmy Award-winning Black History Month special titled "Uncovering Our History". The 30-minute special highlighted the untold local stories of the Black community and shined a light on the path forward toward understanding and healing from the racial divide in the Central Texas community.
After her time in Waco, Leigha knew it was time to come home. She joined the WWLT-TV morning team in September 2022 as a Morning Reporter. Leigha is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Incorporated and the National Association of Black Journalist.
When she is not reporting, you will most likely find Leigha shopping, painting, dancing or spending time with her family. She also loves to travel with her fiancé and fur babies: Leo, Lucci, and Luca.
If you have a story idea or just want to say hello, you can email her at LMcNeil@wwltv.com or follow her on social media.
Instagram: leighamc_tv
Twitter: leigha_mcneil
Facebook: Leigha McNeil
