Jim Lakely

Jim Lakely is director of communications at The Heartland Institute, co-director of Heartland’s Center on the Digital Economy, and editor-in-chief of Heartland's blog, Somewhat Reasonable. Prior to joining Heartland in 2008, Lakely spent 16 years in daily-deadline journalism.

A former White House correspondent for The Washington Times, Lakely covered Capitol Hill and the re-election campaign of George W. Bush and his fifth year as president. He has appeared on C-SPAN, the Fox News Channel, MSNBC, CNN, and several local television news programs to discuss politics and policy. He’s been an editorial writer and columnist for the Tribune-Review in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; The Free Lance-Star in Fredericksburg, Virginia; and The Press-Enterprise in Riverside, California. Lakely also worked for a year as a senior business editor for a trade publication based in Los Angeles.

In his time working for The Heartland Institute, Lakely’s writings on technology policy have appeared in the San Francisco Chronicle, The New York Post, The Chicago Sun-Times, and many other publications around the country, both in print and online. He has shared his insight on politics and technology policy on nationally syndicated radio programs, including The Hugh Hewitt Show and the G. Gordon Liddy Show, as well as several local radio shows around the country and overseas. Lakely is also a regular contributor to the blogs Big Government, Ricochet, and The American Culture.

Born in New York City, Lakely spent his formative years in Dayton, Ohio and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He graduated from the University of Pittsburgh in 1992 and is an avid fan of the Steelers and Penguins.