Azi Paybarah is a New York-based journalist who focuses on local politics. He worked as a reporter for the New York Press , the Queens Tribune and the New York Sun . In February 2011, Paybarah returned to The New York Observer which he had left a few months earlier, [1] where he wrote for the daily blog, The Politicker. [2] In September 2011 he joined the online news publication Capital as senior writer. [3] Paybarah also hosts a political blog on the website of the local NPR station, WNYC. [2]
At times Paybarah will inform political colleagues or rivals of a controversial statement another politician has made to provoke a reaction. An example of this was when he informed others of congressional candidate David Weprin's statements in an interview for Vosizneias , one of the largest Orthodox Jewish websites in the United States, regarding the marriage equality law which allows gay and lesbian marriages in New York State. [4]
In May 2009, Paybarah made headlines for being called "a disgrace" by New York mayor Michael Bloomberg for asking about the mayor's rationale for running for a third term. [5] Though later in his campaign, Bloomberg described Paybarah as "brilliant", according to The New York Times . [6]
In September 2010, he was named one of City Hall's "40 under 40" for being a young influential member of New York City politics. [7]