NEWSDAY
Matthew is very proud to have been a member of the Newsday Multimedia Department since 2010. A leading Long Island news organization, Newsday has given Matthew the opportunity to create award-winning content across multiple genres. Scroll down to see some of Matthew's work and ask him a question via the Contact section at the bottom of the page.
ALWAYS A GENERAL - REMEMBERING JOE GALLAGHER
After a pandemic hiatus, the LAX for Autism games returned to MacArthur High School, and along with it a celebration of community figure Joe Gallagher who died suddenly in 2019 from heart failure. In 2015, Newsday published an award-winning documentary about the Gallagher family which explained the connection between the Gallaghers and the students who embraced Brendan, inspiring the creation of the LAX for Autism games. It was very important for Matthew to maintain the vision of his predecessors' video while telling a new chapter of this story.
"MASSAPEQUA COAST RETURNS HOME FROM THE LITTLE LEAGUE WORLD SERIES"
The Massapequa Coast Little League team on Tuesday returned home to John J. Burns Park in Massapequa after a trip to the Little League World Series in Williamsport, Pa. They fell short of the ultimate goal of winning the national championship, but the Metro champions arrived back on Long Island with memories that will last a lifetime.
IN SEARCH OF "MORE GOOD"
Mary Latham, of Orient, was devastated by her mother's death. She turned her grief into a productive journey around the country, spending three years, 31 days across all 50 states on strangers' couches, documenting instances of their turning their own personal tragedies into something productive, or, as Latham's mother would have put it, into "More Good."
BOHEMIA GIRL STRUGGLES TO RECOVER FROM RARE PARALYZING DISEASE
In 2018, Emma D'Antonio, 8, of Bohemia became paralyzed from the neck down and was diagnosed with acute flaccid myelitis, a rare polio-like disease. Physical therapy has helped restore the use of much of her body, although she still has partial paralysis in her legs.
AND SOCIAL MEDIA MAKES THREE
While private adoptions or DIY adoptions — in which couples take it upon themselves to find a baby to adopt instead of paying an agency to match them with an expectant mom — are far from new, gone are the days of printed flyers tacked up on community bulletin boards or pricey ads in the classified section of the newspaper. With social media at their disposal, hopeful parents now have free range to self-publish and self-market. Meet Vice and Vahn DeBello Gaglio, Gracie Gómez and Harley Metzger, all children who were adopted through their parents' use of social media.
"BEING MORGAN SAINT"
Morgan Saint may soon become a household name. The singer-songwriter from Mattituck has appeared on "Conan" and "Good Day New York," and has been featured in Vogue. In August, she provided backstage access at a rehearsal at the Vail-Leavitt Music Hall in Riverhead and at the Life is Beautiful Music & Art Festival in Las Vegas. Those closest to her talked about her skyrocketing career, and Saint shared some thoughts on how she writes her music.
"TRAINING YOUR BEST FRIEND"
There's a special relationship between an MTA canine police officer and the dog. The dog is more than a tool, more than a partner. He becomes your best friend. And although it might not be easy training your best friend, MTA Police Canine handler Officer Alison Schmitt proved more than up to the task. Accepting the job of MTA canine police officer changed her life, her family's life and life for the family of the late NYPD Det. Steven McDonald - longtime friends and neighbors of the Schmitts. This video demonstrates how Matthew was able to select the best shots to use, searching through hours of footage for the best Steadicam shots to go with the best sound bytes.
"EMMA'S JOURNEY"
This was a story that took Matthew 16 months to tell. Emma Brussell, 9, of Farmingdale, has Type-1 diabetes. She started selling original paintings to raise the money for a diabetic alert dog on a Facebook account called Emma's Journey, with the intention of naming the dog Journey. In Jan. 2017, Newsday covered Emma's story and almost immediately, anonymous wealthy donors gave her the money for the dog. On Friday, April 27, 2018, Emma finally received her dog, but it was a long journey to get there: Journey failed his training in Oct. 2017, so they had to start over again with a new dog -- Rufus, who has since become a member of the family.
"NUMBAH ONE"
Mike Francesa's final year 'On The FAN'
Mike Francesa helped revolutionize sports talk radio at WFAN with Chris "Mad Dog" Russo. Nine years since they split up, Francesa remains the top-rated host in New York. After 30 years at WFAN, 2017 was his last. Newsday followed Francesa throughout his final year as his fans, colleagues and athletes from the New York area spoke about what it will be like to no longer have this icon on the air. Matthew spent much of 2017 going through hours of footage from multiple interviews and public appearances to put this documentary together.
(Credit: Newsday staff)
"MEET THE SOLDO QUADS"
Newsday's 2018 Project Prom winners
Quadruplets Alexa, James, Nick and Rob Soldo of Massapequa, who lost their father in 2015, were chosen for Newsday's annual Project Prom contest. On April 12, 2018, Newsday's Anne Bratskeir took the family to Bloomingdale's at Walt Whitman Shops in Huntington Station to pick out two dresses for Alexa, then on to MyTuxes at Ginos Galleria Tuxedos in East Farmingdale to choose two suits for each of the boys. On April 16, the quads were treated to a makeover and photo shoot at Newsday's photography studio. Each quadruplet picked out his or her two favorite outfits and readers get to choose what they will wear to the prom. There's a lot going on here, and Matthew did a great job making a seamless and entertaining edit. (Credit: Jessica Rotkiewicz)
"DOUBLY DEVOTED"
Joe and John Tardif: Along with their family, a winning team
This NY Emmy-nominated video features twins John and Joe Tardif, who were born prematurely and their parents were not sure they would survive. Now, 18 years later, Joe is an accomplished athlete who is a star player in baseball, soccer and basketball at Mattituck Junior-Senior High School. John has cerebral palsy, uses a wheelchair and cannot speak, but he is Joe's biggest fan and never misses a game. Matthew edited this project of the twins and their family talking about their special bond and what the future holds and the end result was the most successful video Newsday ever featured on social media. (Credit: Newsday / Thomas A. Ferrara,
John Paraskevas)
NY EMMY WINNER: "9/11: A DECADE LATER"
Newsday reached out to the families of every Long Islander who lost a loved one on September 11, 2001. This is a compilation of interviews made throughout 2011 leading up to the tenth anniversary of the tragedy. Matthew edited this video, which earned him his first NY Emmy award.
"300-YEAR-OLD GLEN COVE HOUSE TRANSFORMED INTO ART MANSION"
The First City Project, a community organizing group, invited street artists, local artists and artists from around the world to turn a historic Glen Cove home into a canvas. On Tuesday, Feb. 28, 2017, they spoke about their work in the original home of the J.H. Coles family, a founding family of the city.
(Credit: Newsday / Jeffrey Basinger)
"KEEPING TAILORING BUSINESS IN THE MONTELLA FAMILY SUITS THEM JUST FINE"
Tailoring makes this family. Montella Custom Tailor shop of Bellport has expanded with a second location, a 1000-square- foot unit in The Shoppes at East Wind in Wading River where, the Montella family says, the village-like setting is ideal for a business that practices an old-world-artisan craft like custom tailoring. On Sunday, Oct. 8, 2017, the family spoke about their love of the craft and their new location in Wading River. (Credit: Randee Daddona)
"HISTORICAL FENCING SOCIETY GETS TO THE POINT WITH MEDIEVAL MARTIAL ART"
The Long Island Historical Fencing Society focuses on teaching and practicing the martial art of sword fighting the way it was actually practiced in the 1200s-1500s (and not the sensationalized methods we see on TV and in the movies). April 13, 2017. (Credit: Newsday / Jeffrey Basinger)
"MIRACLE IN 5TH PERIOD"
NY Emmy award-nominated video
On the eighth day of classes in Sept. 2015, Wisdom Lane Middle School eighth-grader Jessica Lemus of Levittown suffered cardiac arrest during fifth-period science class, and her heart stopped for 7 minutes. Working as a team, her teachers used an AED and saved her life. Since then, Jessica has undergone surgery and been home-schooled while recuperating, and her teacher, Carole Going, whose class she was in while suffering the attack, has become a close family friend. On Monday, Feb. 1, 2016, Jessica returned to school. Matthew edited this NY Emmy-nominated documentary that details how everyone's life has been changed - especially hers.
"UNTIL EVERYONE COMES HOME"
NY Emmy award - nominated video
For the past two years, families whose homes were severely damaged let Newsday document how the storm impacted them. On the eve of the storm's second anniversary, they discussed being displaced and rebuilding. Oct. 28, 2014
(Credit: Newsday / Jessica Rotkiewicz, Chris Ware)
"'STAR WARS' COSTUMING GROUP PERFORMS FOR CHARITY"
Saber Guild Endor Temple invades Long Island
Saber Guild is a nonprofit "Star Wars" costuming group that specializes in choreographed lightsaber shows. Endor Temple, the Long Island branch of Saber Guild International, held a practice session at Jazzercise in Commack on Sunday, Oct. 1, 2017 and performed and taught children's Jedi classes at East Meadow Public Library on Saturday, Oct. 14, 2017. (Credit: Newsday / Raychel Brightman; Randee Daddona)
"WORLD WAR II 70TH ANNIVERSARY"
Honoring our veterans
Throughout 2015, Newsday interviewed dozens of World War II veterans living on Long Island. This video, edited by Matthew, was used on Social Media to promote Newsday's special section honoring our veterans for the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II.
NY EMMY WINNER: "BRENTWOOD RACER STRUGGLES TO GO PRO"
This NY Emmy award-winning project features Ben Rio, a Long Island motocross racer, coping with the challenges of becoming a professional, while developing close relationships with the kids he mentors in the sport and helping them with their own challenges.
Videojournalist: Chris Ware (June 9, 2011)
"AQUAPONICS"
As above, so below
On Wednesday, March 22, 2017, Fruit of Life Aquaponics founder and CEO Patrick Durkin talked about his love of giving back to the community, living off the land and showing his son another way of life: aquaponics, the merging of hydroponics and aquaculture. The concept was also taught in Todd Brunn's STEAM science class at Montauk School on Monday, March 27, 2017, where students combined their gardening skills with the koi and goldfish tanks in the school's greenhouse.
(Credit: Randee Daddona)
CONTACT
Get in touch with Matthew directly by filling out the form below.
East Meadow, NY, USA