David Lazarus covers business and consumer news for KTLA. Prior to joining the station full-time, he was an award-winning business columnist for the Los Angeles Times.
Laz, as he’s called by colleagues and viewers, sticks up for the little guy. His work has resulted in a variety of laws protecting Californians, including safeguards for voter information and checking accounts. His work on privacy matters, healthcare and bank practices have resulted in hearings in Washington and Sacramento, and have been praised by lawmakers for shedding light on business activities that put consumers at a disadvantage.
He has deep roots in California. He attended Ojai Valley School and Crossroads in Santa Monica before heading to UC Berkeley, where he earned a degree in history. After graduating, Laz spent 12 years living abroad, working as a journalist in Athens, Bangkok and Tokyo. He then covered business and technology for Wired and the San Francisco Chronicle before returning to the Southland.
His work has earned an Emmy, a Golden Mike, two National Headliner Awards and multiple honors from the Society of Professional Journalists. He was named Journalist of the Year by the Consumer Federation of California.
But Laz likes to say that the real prize is helping people deal with problems when no one else is able to step up.
