Yahya Salem is a Producer and member of the CNN Creators team, reporting on the stories shaping culture and conversation, from AI and technology to art, sport and social trends. He is based in Doha, Qatar.

His reporting with CNN spans conflicts in the Middle East, Muslim communities in the US, and pop culture. He has also explored the intersection of culture and photography, from Polynesian surf traditions to Palestinian Bedouin communities to remote Arctic living.

As a bilingual journalist, Salem also produces digital and social media content for CNN Arabic, covering US news relevant to Arabic-speaking audiences, including foreign policy, immigration, and civil liberties.

He previously worked as a researcher with CNN FactCheck in Atlanta, vetting CNN content for accuracy, clarity, and fairness. In that role, he contributed to CNN’s award-winning coverage of stories such as the Israel-Hamas war and the Ukraine-Russia war, as well as CNN’s award-winning series The Whole Story.

Prior to joining CNN, Salem worked as a reporter for PBS Chicago, covering arts and culture, local politics, and education.

He graduated from the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University.