A Look at Biden’s Lapses, and a Holdup in Trump’s Sentencing
Plus, millions aren’t paying student loans.
By Michael Simon Johnson, Catie Edmondson, Selam Gebrekidan, Ian Stewart, Jessica Metzger and Tracy Mumford
Selam Gebrekidan
I am an investigative reporter for The New York Times whose work focuses on accountability — of governments, companies and people who wield power.
What I Cover
I cover topics with a wide geographic and thematic range. I have reported on corruption in South Africa, the misuse of farm subsidies across Europe, the global response to the Covid-19 pandemic, the secret contracts behind the rollout of vaccines, the centuries of debt that entrapped Haiti, and the British criminal justice system, among others.
When possible, I build and use databases to add an empirical framework to investigative projects. I usually spend months, and sometimes years, working on stories before they are published.
My Background
I joined The Times in 2018 as an investigative reporter. Before that, I worked for Reuters, both in New York and in London. My first job there was covering commodities markets. I later moved to the data and enterprise team, where I wrote about migration to Europe and the war in Yemen.
Journalistic Ethics
All Times journalists are committed to upholding the standards of integrity outlined in our Ethical Journalism Handbook. I identify myself as a reporter when working. I do not accept gifts or favors from people I report on. I protect my sources and I will fight to keep them anonymous if the disclosure of their identity would harm or endanger them. I believe in fairness — everyone should get a chance to respond before they read about themselves in The Times.
Contact Me
The best way to reach me is through email. Please use the tip line for a secure contact.
Email: selam.gebrekidan@nytimes.com
Anonymous tips: nytimes.com/tips
Latest
An Israeli air base is a source of GPS ‘spoofing’ attacks, researchers say.
Misleading satellite signals have disrupted thousands of civilian flights. GPS, once considered navigation’s gold standard, is now vulnerable.
By Selam Gebrekidan
Why GPS Is Under Attack
Satellite signals run the modern world. See just how vulnerable they are.
By Selam Gebrekidan, K.K. Rebecca Lai, Pablo Robles and Jeremy White
One Satellite Signal Rules Modern Life. What if Someone Knocks It Out?
Threats are mounting in space. GPS signals are vulnerable to attack. Their time-keeping is essential for stock trading, power transmission and more.
By Selam Gebrekidan, John Liu and Chris Buckley
Electronic Warfare Confounds Civilian Pilots, Far From Any Battlefield
Planes were built to trust GPS signals. Jamming and spoofing in the Middle East and Ukraine have diverted flights and caused inaccurate onboard alerts.
By Selam Gebrekidan
Deadly Fire in Africa’s Richest City Exposed a Secret in Plain Sight
Officials blame immigrants and liberal housing laws, but a Times investigation found the entrenched problems that turned downtown Johannesburg into a blighted tinderbox.
By Lynsey Chutel, Selam Gebrekidan and John Eligon
‘The Ransom’: How France and the U.S. drained Haiti’s wealth
This was featured in live coverage.
By The New York Times
He Never Denied Selling Drugs. But Britain Says He’s a Slave Master, Too.
A law written to prevent human trafficking is being wielded against low-level drug dealers. The effects are long-lasting.
By Selam Gebrekidan
They Called Him a Gangster Out for Revenge. The Evidence? 6 Text Messages.
A murder-conspiracy case in northwestern England tells the story of Britain’s crackdown on gangs, which disproportionately targets young Black men.
By Selam Gebrekidan
U.K. Doubles Down on a Tactic Disproportionately Targeting Black People
The United States helped inspire Britain’s tough-on-crime politics. Even as crime fell and warnings mounted, politicians never looked back.
By Jane Bradley
The Ransom: A Look Under the Hood
Thousands of pages of original documents, and hundreds of books and articles. Here are the historians and researchers on which the Haiti project drew.
By Catherine Porter, Constant Méheut, Selam Gebrekidan and Matt Apuzzo
Demanding Reparations, and Ending Up in Exile
A firebrand Haitian president tried to hold France to account for its years of exploitation. He soon found himself ousted from power.
By Constant Méheut, Catherine Porter, Selam Gebrekidan and Matt Apuzzo
Invade Haiti, Wall Street Urged. The U.S. Obliged.
The long occupation of Haiti began with a drumbeat from the bank that became Citigroup, decades of diplomatic correspondence and other records show.
By Selam Gebrekidan, Matt Apuzzo, Catherine Porter and Constant Méheut
How a French Bank Captured Haiti
It helped finance the Eiffel Tower as it drained millions from Haiti. The bank, C.I.C., won’t talk about it, but The Times tracked how much its investors made — and what Haiti lost.
By Matt Apuzzo, Constant Méheut, Selam Gebrekidan and Catherine Porter
The Root of Haiti’s Misery: Reparations to Enslavers
In 1791, enslaved Haitians ousted the French and founded a nation. But France made generations of Haitians pay for their freedom. How much it cost them was a mystery, until now.
By Catherine Porter, Constant Méheut, Matt Apuzzo and Selam Gebrekidan
Haiti’s Lost Billions
The staggering sum Haiti paid for its independence cemented its path to poverty.
By Lazaro Gamio, Constant Méheut, Catherine Porter, Selam Gebrekidan, Allison McCann and Matt Apuzzo
A magnet for exploitation: Haiti over the centuries.
What often stands between Haiti and economic success is the rest of the world.
By Constant Méheut and Selam Gebrekidan
Biden Orders Intelligence Inquiry Into Origins of Virus
The directive came as health officials and scientists have renewed calls for a more rigorous examination.
By Michael D. Shear, Julian E. Barnes, Carl Zimmer and Benjamin Mueller
India and Its Vaccine Maker Stumble Over Their Pandemic Promises
The Serum Institute vowed to protect the country from Covid-19 and inoculate the world’s poor, but India’s crisis has pushed it past its limits.
By Emily Schmall and Karan Deep Singh
Rich countries signed away opportunities to vaccinate the world. A pending U.S. patent decision may offer a last chance.
This was featured in live coverage.
By Selam Gebrekidan and Matt Apuzzo
Rich Countries Signed Away a Chance to Vaccinate the World
Despite warnings, American and European officials gave up leverage that could have guaranteed access for billions of people. That risks prolonging the pandemic.
By Selam Gebrekidan and Matt Apuzzo
Where did Europe go wrong in its vaccine rollout?
This was featured in live coverage.
By Matt Apuzzo, Selam Gebrekidan and Monika Pronczuk
Where Europe Went Wrong in Its Vaccine Rollout, and Why
While Washington went into business with the drug companies, Europe was more fiscally conservative and trusted the free market.
By Matt Apuzzo, Selam Gebrekidan and Monika Pronczuk
Governments Sign Secret Vaccine Deals. Here’s What They Hide.
Multibillion-dollar contracts give drug makers liability shields, patent ownership and leeway on delivery dates and pricing — and promises that much of it will not be made public.
By Matt Apuzzo and Selam Gebrekidan
Covid Response Was a Global Series of Failures, W.H.O.-Established Panel Says
An interim report is both a bleak recounting of deadly missteps and an early blueprint for repairs: “We have failed in our collective capacity.”
By Selam Gebrekidan and Matt Apuzzo
Officials worldwide failed in the early pandemic response, a W.H.O. panel says.
This was featured in live coverage.
By Selam Gebrekidan and Matt Apuzzo
As the coronavirus mutates, the world stumbles to respond.
This was featured in live coverage.
By Matt Apuzzo, Selam Gebrekidan and Apoorva Mandavilli
As Coronavirus Mutates, the World Stumbles Again to Respond
A South African tip led to the discovery of mutations around the world. With infections skyrocketing, “it’s a race against time.”
By Matt Apuzzo, Selam Gebrekidan and Apoorva Mandavilli
South Africa will make plenty of vaccine. But its citizens are at the back of the line.
By Matt Apuzzo and Selam Gebrekidan
behind the curveFor Covid-19 Vaccines, Some Are Too Rich — and Too Poor
Global inequality is shaping which countries get vaccines first. In South Africa, people’s best chance for vaccines anytime soon is to join an experimental trial.
By Matt Apuzzo, Selam Gebrekidan and Joao Silva
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