Born in 1952 in Chicago, Illinois, Jim Burns began reviewing restaurants for the Los Angeles Times in 1981 while working as the Local News Editor for Times Mirror Videotex Services. In 1984, he was the Associate Editor for The Los Angeles Times Guide to Dining Out in L.A. After spending a year as Managing Editor for InSpain magazine in Madrid, Spain, he returned to Los Angeles, where he is currently the Travel Editor for the Los Angeles Herald Examiner. He was graduated by the University of Southern California in 1980 with a Masters degree in Journalism. (May or may not be the producer of MTV Unplugged; none of the producer's obituaries mention his birthplace, education, etc.)