I specialize in covering conflict and crisis. I focus on events that have far-reaching impact, such as the conflict in the Middle East or the war in Ukraine. I feel it’s important to bring readers a full sense of what is unfolding, to illuminate the turmoil, the shock, the confusion, the resilience and often the courage displayed by people whose lives have been turned upside down by enormous events far beyond their control. My goal is to leave readers with deeper understanding and greater empathy.
My Background
I’ve worked at The Times for more than 20 years. I’ve covered famine in Somalia, terrorism in Iraq, a blind boxer in Uganda, Indian politics, American politics, small towns in the U.S.A. and megacities in Asia. I’ve written travel stories about orangutans and personal stories about being kidnapped by militants. Before the Times, I worked for The Los Angeles Times and the St. Petersburg Times. I’ve also written for National Geographic, The New York Review of Books and GQ. My journalistic honors include three Polk Awards and a Pulitzer Prize for my coverage of Eastern Africa.
I grew up in Evanston, Illinois, studied philosophy at Cornell and anthropology at Oxford. I enjoy reading fiction and wrote my own book, a memoir, “Love, Africa.”
Journalistic Ethics
As a Times reporter, I am deeply committed to upholding the standards of integrity outlined in our Ethical Journalism Handbook. I don’t participate in political campaigns or engage in any activism. I am direct with sources and honest with readers. In the type of work I do, I often interact with people who have never met a journalist and I feel strongly that I need to conduct myself honorably, respectfully and with great empathy. I protect the identity of people who share sensitive information with me.
Facing grim job prospects, a young Nepali signed up to join Russia’s military, which sent him to fight in Ukraine. His ordeal of combat, injury and escape turned into a tale worthy of Hollywood.
At least five people were killed in clashes with the police that erupted after lawmakers approved tax increases that critics said would drive up the cost of living for millions.
The combination of a bloody clash with protesters in Nairobi and the arrival of Kenyan officers in gang-ravaged Haiti draws new scrutiny to the Kenyan police.
The stunning incursion into the Kharkiv Region lays bare the challenges facing Ukraine’s weary and thinly stretched forces as Russia ramps up its summer offensive.
By Michael Schwirtz, Jeffrey Gettleman, Maria Varenikova and Constant Méheut
With Ukrainian troops outnumbered, exhausted and now in retreat near Kharkiv, many Ukrainians wonder if the war has taken a significant turn for the worse.
Russia’s latest offensive has expanded the battlefield along Ukraine’s northern border, and sent thousands of civilians fleeing to Kharkiv, the closest large city.