Lydia Polgreen

I am an Opinion columnist at The New York Times and a co-host of the “Matter of Opinion” podcast.

What I Cover

I write about the world, culture and politics, with an emphasis on human rights, migration, queer lives and democracy. Above all I am interested in the experiences of human beings as they navigate the interlocking crises of our time.

My Background

I spent a decade as an international correspondent for The Times in West Africa, South Asia and South Africa. I have also worked as a media executive, serving as editor in chief of HuffPost and managing director of Gimlet, a podcast studio at Spotify. Before joining The Times, I was a staff writer for The Orlando Sentinel and The Times Union in Albany, New York.

My mother is Ethiopian and my father was American, and I spent most of my childhood and a good chunk of my professional life in Africa. These experiences inform my perspective and work, which aims to look at global events and the United States from perspectives other than those of the rich, western world.

I attended Saint John’s College, earning a bachelor-of-arts degree in philosophy and mathematics, as well as Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism. I am proud to have won a number of awards for my reporting over the years, including the Polk and the Livingston awards for international reporting.

I live in New York City with my wife and two dogs.

Journalistic Ethics

Human dignity is at the core of my work. I often write about vulnerable and marginalized people, and I try to take special care to ensure my reporting and writing do not cause them harm. I always strive to tell stories with nuance and respect. I am an opinion columnist and write about my views and convictions, but I am deeply committed to independence, rigorous reporting and accuracy. My work is informed by my life experiences and, whenever possible, the lived experiences of people I have met and spoken to in depth, as well as things I have been able to witness first hand.

Columnists abide by the same rigorous ethical standards as all Times journalists to ensure our independence and credibility. You can read more about The Times’s ethics guidelines.

• Email: [email protected]

• Facebook: Lydia Polgreen

• Instagram: @lpolgreen

• Threads: @lpolgreen

• Bluesky: @polgreen