Burnett worked for more than a decade as a political reporter in Washington, D.C. He also has worked in public relations, on political campaigns, and as an editor and a reporter on newspapers in Colorado, Michigan, New York, and Ohio. He still works as a freelance writer. He has a Ph.D. in political science from Colorado State University, a master's degree in political science from George Washington University, and a master's degree in journalism from The Ohio State University. A native of Ohio, his undergraduate degree is from Ohio Wesleyan University.