Hello, I’m Salem Solomon.

I’m a digital, multimedia journalist with the Voice of America’s Africa Division, where I cover the latest news from across the continent.

I report and edit in English, Amharic and Tigrigna, and my work has appeared in The New York Times, Poynter.org, Reuters, The Tampa Bay Times and The Washington Post. I also produce data-driven multimedia stories and research trends in analytics and digital journalism.

I invite you to check out my stories, multimedia projects, media appearances and résumé.

Recent Stories

Wed, 02/26/2020 - 09:45

Tanzanian Journalist's Imprisonment Highlights Free Press Erosion

Release of investigative reporter Erick Kabendera after seven months, sheds broader light on deteriorating press freedom in country

Sun, 02/23/2020 - 19:41

Mali Seeks to Negotiate with Jihadists in Efforts to End Violence

Mali has been struggling to contain a jihadist rebellion that erupted in the country in 2012

Wed, 02/19/2020 - 18:31

Amnesty Calls for Thorough Probe Into Rwandan Singer's Death

Kizito Mihigo, a well known gospel singer, was found dead in his prison cell four days after being arrested near the border with Burundi

Wed, 02/19/2020 - 06:56

While Ousted President Faces ICC, Sudan’s AG Reconsiders Country’s Ties to Islamist Groups

In the latest court development, Sudan’s ousted ruler, Omar al-Bashir, is being questioned for money laundering in connection with financing Islamist groups

Fri, 02/14/2020 - 06:04

Negotiators from Ethiopia, Sudan and Egypt Optimistic on Nile Dam Standoff

After two days of discussions facilitated by the U.S. Treasury Department, the three countries say they hope to reach a technical agreement by the end of the month

Thu, 02/13/2020 - 11:52

Global Companies Find Themselves Ensnared in Angolan Corruption Case

A growing list of consulting and accounting firms are distancing themselves from Isabel dos Santos, the daughter of Angola’s former president, and her husband, because of their alleged involvement in a corruption case. Accounting firms such as Price Waterhouse Coopers and Boston Consulting Group are among the few that have openly expressed their disappointment and have started internal investigations.

Thu, 02/13/2020 - 10:19

Ethiopian Airlines Resists Pressure to Cancel Flights to China

While many other international airlines are suspending service due to coronavirus, Ethiopian Airlines continues to fly

Tue, 02/11/2020 - 05:54

'Take Us Out of the Country': African Students Plead for Evacuation as Coronavirus Spreads

Thousands of African students express fear and doubt as they hide from the deadly illness in China

Thu, 01/30/2020 - 00:07

Kobe Remembered for his Legacy in Africa

The death of American basketball player Kobe Bryant and his 13-year-old daughter in a Calabasas, California, helicopter crash on Jan. 26, 2020, sent shockwaves throughout the world, especially in Africa where many looked up to him. VOA spoke with fans in Nairobi and a basketball official in Ivory Coast about the NBA star's sudden death. Salem Solomon has the story.

Wed, 01/29/2020 - 06:03

Virus Outbreak Impacts Africans at Home and Abroad

Countries are putting in place screening and quarantine procedures on the continent, African students studying in China face fear and uncertainty

Media Appearances

I make frequent appearances on TV, radio and web shows to discuss events unfolding across Africa. My comments have appeared on VOA broadcasts, Al Jazeera and Newsy.

Watch My Appearances

Essays & Analysis

The New York Times Magazine

‘They’re Going to Come for Us’: A Teenage Girl Caught in a War’s Riptides

My father knew we were next. “They’re going to come for us,” he’d say, after Meles Zenawi, then the prime minister of Ethiopia, told the country on national television in July 1998 that Eritreans weren’t welcome.

Columbia Journalism Review

The 'North Korea of Africa'? Not so fast.

For years, news outlets in Europe and North America have aimed to cover African places and people in terms familiar to their audiences.

Foreign Policy

Life in Eritrea’s News Desert

What the country teaches the world about the importance of an independent press.

Washington Post

No, al-Shabab is not deadlier than Boko Haram. Here are better numbers.

For years, Boko Haram has carried the dubious distinction of being Africa’s deadliest terrorist group.

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