Hello, I’m Salem Solomon.

I’m an award-winning multimedia reporter and editor with the Voice of America’s News Center.

Previously, I worked in VOA’s Africa Division, covering 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, The Washington Post, The Tampa Bay Times and Foreign Policy magazine. I also produce data-driven multimedia projects. My work focused on journalism innovation and fact-checking initiatives has appeared in the Columbia Journalism Review, on Poynter Online and Harvard’s Nieman Journalism Lab, and I have taught advanced reporting at the University of South Florida’s Department of Journalism and Digital Communication.

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

Recent Stories

Sat, 02/27/2021 - 02:31 AM

Tigray Victim Pleads for Justice After Eritrean Soldiers Allegedly Massacre Civilians

Amnesty International report details what the organization calls systematic killing in Axum

Thu, 02/25/2021 - 03:55 PM

US Restoration of Foreign Aid to Ethiopia Signals New Course

Analysts say the resumption of aid is expected as soon as President Joe Biden began implementing his foreign policy changes

Thu, 02/18/2021 - 09:08 PM

Supporters of Hotel Rwanda Figure Denounce ‘Show Trial’

Paul Rusesabagina, a humanitarian and activist who is depicted in the Oscar-nominated film ‘Hotel Rwanda,’ is accused of supporting a rebel group, but his family and supporters say Rwanda has no jurisdiction to try him

Thu, 02/18/2021 - 10:23 PM

Exiled in Kenya, Controversial Ugandan Activist Continues to Speak Out

Stella Nyanzi, a prominent political activist, told VOA about the abductions and arrests that led her to finally leave her home country

Thu, 02/18/2021 - 03:01 PM

Hotel Rwanda Figure Appears in Court as Supporters Denounce ‘Show Trial’

Paul Rusesabagina, a humanitarian and activist who is depicted in the Oscar-nominated film Hotel Rwanda, appeared in court Wednesday, accused of supporting rebel groups

Fri, 02/12/2021 - 12:38 PM

Ethiopian Journalist Attacked in Her Home, Questioned on Tigray Connections

Freelance journalist Lucy Kassa says a raid by unidentified attackers may be linked to her reporting on gang rape in Ethiopia's Tigray region

Thu, 02/11/2021 - 02:24 PM

Rights Group Calls For Independent Investigation of Shelling in Ethiopia’s Tigray Region

New report claims federal forces broke laws of war with attacks on Humera, Shire, and Mekelle

Thu, 02/04/2021 - 01:18 PM

Diplomats Decry Violence, Call for Withdrawal of Eritrean Troops from Ethiopia

Satellite images show two Eritrean refugee camps, Hitsats and Shimelba, which had hosted 25,000 people, have been demolished

Sat, 01/30/2021 - 08:17 AM

Uganda’s Opposition, International Observers Continue to Question Election Results

Yoweri Museveni was elected for a sixth term to lead the country, but opponents and observers are raising questions about whether the election was free and fair

Wed, 01/27/2021 - 07:17 AM

Ethiopian Novelist Unveils Hidden Story of Women During War

Maaza Mengiste’s novel has won accolades for its portrayal of women’s role in Ethiopia’s resistance to Italian occupation; now she wants to open the door for other writers

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.