Ben C. Solomon
Ben C. Solomon | |
|---|---|
Solomon in 2017 | |
| Born | November 4, 1987 |
| Education | DePauw University |
| Occupations | Journalist, filmmaker |
| Notable credit(s) | The New York Times, Frontline, Vice News, The Wall Street Journal |
| Awards | Pulitzer Prize for International Reporting (2015) |
| Website | https://bencsolomon.com |
Ben C. Solomon (born November 4, 1987) is an American visual journalist, filmmaker, and correspondent. Since January 2024, he has served as a senior video correspondent for The Wall Street Journal.[1] Solomon has reported from over sixty countries and covered seven wars and numerous global crises.[2]
Early life and education
Solomon graduated from Ladue Horton Watkins High School in 2006[3] and earned a degree in communications with a minor in studio art from DePauw University in 2010.[4] While in college, he interned at CBS News.[5] Shortly after graduation, he joined The New York Times as a video intern.[6]
Career
The New York Times and freelance reporting (2011–2019)
In 2011, during the Arab Spring uprisings, Solomon moved to Cairo as a freelancer, where he began covering the Syrian civil war and the Libyan civil war.[5]
In 2014, Solomon spent three months covering the Ebola virus epidemic in West Africa. His team's coverage earned the Pulitzer Prize for International Reporting,[7] the George Polk Award for Health Reporting,[8] and the World Press Photo Multimedia Prize.[9]
In 2016, Solomon embedded with the Iraqi Army to make The Fight for Fallujah, the first virtual reality film shot in an active combat zone. It garnered an Emmy Award nomination[10] and was noted for its innovative approach.
PBS Frontline (2019–2020)
In 2019, Solomon became PBS's inaugural filmmaker-in-residence on its Frontline series.[11] His first film, Ebola in Congo, chronicled the Ebola outbreak in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo during armed conflict. It won a News & Documentary Emmy Award for Outstanding Video Journalism in 2019.[12]
Vice News (2020–2023)
From 2020 to 2023, Solomon was an international correspondent for Vice News, covering conflicts in Myanmar, Afghanistan, and the Ukraine.[13] He also reported on the January 6 United States Capitol attack, producing on-the-ground coverage of the events in Washington, D.C.[14] In 2022, Solomon was among the first Western journalists to interview Volodymyr Zelenskyy, President of Ukraine, in a bunker during the early days of the invasion.[15]
The Wall Street Journal (2024–present)
Since January 2024, Solomon has been a senior video correspondent at The Wall Street Journal.[16] In his first year, he received two Emmy Award nominations for reporting from Sudan and Ukraine.[17] His work for WSJ includes the short documentary Darwin, profiling a young Ukrainian drone pilot.[18]
Personal life
Solomon lives in Spain with his wife and son.
Awards and recognition
- Pulitzer Prize for International Reporting (2015) – The New York Times Ebola outbreak coverage[7]
- George Polk Award for Health Reporting (2014)[8]
- World Press Photo Multimedia Award (2015) – “Ebola Ambulance”[9]
- Cannes Lions Grand Prix (2016) – The Displaced[19]
- World Press Photo Interactive Award (2016) – The Displaced[20]
- News & Documentary Emmy Award – Ebola in Congo (2019)[12]
- News & Documentary Emmy Awards – Return of the Taliban (2022)[21]
- News & Documentary Emmy Award – Putin's War on Ukraine (2023)[22]
- Prix Bayeux-Calvados Award, 2nd Place, Grand Format Television – The Fall of Kandahar (2022)[23]
- Multiple additional Emmy Award nominations, including for Sudan and Ukraine coverage with The Wall Street Journal (2024)[17]
References
- ^ "WSJ hires Solomon as senior video correspondent". Talking Biz News. January 9, 2024.
- ^ "Ben C. Solomon - About". Ben C. Solomon.
- ^ "Ladue native Ben Solomon wins Pulitzer Prize". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. April 21, 2015.
- ^ "Alumnus Ben Solomon '10 Wins Pulitzer Prize". DePauw University. April 20, 2015.
- ^ a b "Alumnus Ben Solomon '10 Wins Pulitzer Prize". DePauw University.
- ^ "Ben C. Solomon – The New York Times". The New York Times.
- ^ a b "The New York Times Staff – 2015 Pulitzer Prize, International Reporting". Pulitzer Prize.
- ^ a b "George Polk Award Past Winners". LIU.
- ^ a b "Ebola Ambulance – World Press Photo".
- ^ "38th Annual News & Documentary Emmy Award Nominations". NATAS.
- ^ "FRONTLINE Expands Its Reporting Ranks with Addition of Filmmaker-in-Residence Ben C. Solomon". PBS Frontline.
- ^ a b "40th Annual News & Documentary Emmy Award Winners". NATAS. Archived from the original on 2020-11-28. Retrieved 2025-08-13.
- ^ "Ben C. Solomon". December 27, 2022.
- ^ "This Is What It Was Like Inside the Capitol Siege". VICE News. January 7, 2021.
- ^ "Zelenskyy: "I Think He Sees That We Are Strong"". VICE News. March 9, 2022.
- ^ "WSJ hires Solomon as senior video correspondent". Talking Biz News.
- ^ a b "45th Annual News & Documentary Emmy Award Nominations". NATAS. Archived from the original on 2024-09-01. Retrieved 2025-08-13.
- ^ "On the Front Lines With Ukraine's Killer Drone Pilot". The Wall Street Journal.
- ^ "Cannes Lions 2016 Winners – Grand Prix". Cannes Lions.
- ^ "The Displaced – World Press Photo".
- ^ "43rd Annual News & Documentary Emmy Award Winners". NATAS.
- ^ "44th Annual News & Documentary Emmy Award Winners". NATAS.
- ^ "Prix Bayeux-Calvados Awards 2022 – Winners". Prix Bayeux.