Journalist  ·  Editor  ·  Investigative Reporter

Tami
Abdollah

Two decades reporting at the intersection of power, accountability, and technology — from Baghdad to Brussels, Kyiv to Los Angeles.

Associated Press USA TODAY Los Angeles Times Noema Magazine Wall Street Journal
View Selected Work →
Scroll

Reporter. Editor.
Storyteller.

Tami Abdollah

I'm a journalist and editor with more than two decades of experience across investigative reporting, national security, criminal justice, technology, and ideas-driven narrative journalism. I've broken stories that triggered new legislation, prompted congressional hearings, and secured the freedom of people wrongly imprisoned.

As Deputy Editor at Noema Magazine, I shape complex essays and deeply reported features by writers across the globe — work that has earned anthology selections, book deals with major publishers, and briefings before U.S. House Select Committee staff.

I served as the first cybersecurity reporter at The Associated Press, covering election security, the Apple encryption showdown, ransomware, and the internet of things before those beats were mainstream. I've reported on the ground in Iraq, Ukraine, and across Europe, Southeast Asia, and the Pacific.

When I'm not at a desk, you'll find me on a rock face, on a mountain, or somewhere remote with a map and too much gear.

20+
Years in journalism
10+
Countries reported from
5
Major outlets as staff reporter
7
Languages
English · French · Hebrew · Farsi · Arabic · Mandarin · Spanish
Varying proficiency

A career built on
accountability.

Noema Magazine
Deputy Editor
2023 – Present  ·  Los Angeles

Edit and commission complex narrative essays and deeply reported features from writers around the globe, across technology, science, philosophy, AI, and global politics. Developed Noema's first-ever editorial AI policy — praised externally as an industry-leading model — and spearheaded the publication's adoption of audio.

  • Edited pieces selected for HarperCollins' "The Best American Science and Nature Writing"
  • Work led to Simon & Schuster book deal and adoption into the Aspen Institute's leadership curriculum
  • Authors invited to brief U.S. House Select Committee staff; Chicago Manual of Style inquiries on AI-writing standards
  • Integrated AI editorial policy into contract language; trained and mentored new editorial staff
USA TODAY
National Correspondent, Criminal Justice
2021 – 2023  ·  Los Angeles / Kyiv

Covered the criminal justice system with a focus on systemic disparities and inequities. Traveled to Ukraine to cover the fallout of Russia's February 2022 invasion. Helped cover investigations into Donald Trump and Jan. 6 Committee findings.

  • Reporting contributed to the release of a Mohawk nation man imprisoned for roughly two decades
  • Covered Derek Chauvin's criminal prosecution across multiple platforms — video, podcast, radio, SMS reader outreach
  • Reported from Scandinavia, Western Europe, and Ukraine
dot.LA
Senior Reporter
2019 – 2021  ·  Los Angeles

On the launch team of a technology journalism startup covering the L.A. tech ecosystem. Reported on diversity and equity in venture capital funding and broke a five-part exclusive narrative investigation into a failed U.S. cannabis fund backed by a Russian oligarch.

The Associated Press
Cybersecurity & Terrorism Reporter
2015 – 2019  ·  Washington, D.C. / National

Served as the first AP cybersecurity reporter — covering election security, the 2016 presidential campaign, the government-Apple encryption standoff, ransomware, IoT threats, and national security. Also reported on FEMA's failures in post-hurricane Puerto Rico.

  • Multiple scoops on Apple/FBI encryption showdown; reported on 2016 election interference
  • Broke exclusive on $30 million in federal contracts awarded to a newly-created company that never delivered emergency supplies to Puerto Rico — spurred Inspector General review and passage of new law
  • Temporarily covered President Trump's business conflicts and emoluments cases
The Associated Press
Law Enforcement Reporter
2013 – 2015  ·  Los Angeles

Covered the LAPD, LA County Sheriff's Department, FBI, DHS, ATF, and DEA from the AP's Los Angeles bureau. Won multiple AP "Best of the States" prizes for breaking news.

  • Broke series of exclusive stories on LAX airport attack failures — led to on-site congressional hearing
  • Wrote the first comprehensive look at police body camera policies nationwide
  • Covered the Sony Pictures hack investigation and cybersecurity threats to critical infrastructure
KPCC / NPR Los Angeles
Education Reporter
2011 – 2012  ·  Los Angeles

Multiplatform reporter for L.A.'s NPR affiliate. Created and branded the Pass/Fail education blog. Broke multiple exclusive stories on LAUSD failures; increased web traffic nearly 400% in the first month of reporting.

Los Angeles Times
Reporter
2006 – 2009  ·  Los Angeles

Covered criminal justice, law enforcement, environment, government, and breaking news. Reported on nearly every major California fire, earthquake, or flood during the period.

  • Broke front-page stories on a DOJ probe into Orange County's jail system and a rogue DNA lab
  • Broke story on misuse of campaign funds that triggered a California ethics watchdog investigation
Development Alternatives, Inc. / USAID
Reporting Officer
2009 – 2010  ·  Baghdad, Iraq

Researched, documented, and monitored progress on more than 1,000 grants under USAID's $200-million Iraq Rapid Assistance Program. Created regular reports for the State Department and USAID on reconstruction progress.

Stories that
moved the needle.

The Associated Press
Apple vs. the FBI: Inside the Encryption Standoff
Multiple exclusive scoops on the landmark government showdown over iPhone encryption — one of the defining technology and civil liberties stories of the decade.
Cybersecurity  ·  National Security
The Associated Press
The $30 Million That Never Arrived: FEMA's Puerto Rico Contractor Failure
Broke the exclusive story of emergency tarps and supplies contracted — and never delivered — to Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria. Triggered Inspector General review and resulted in new federal law on contractor vetting.
Investigative  ·  Accountability
The Associated Press
LAX Attack: A System's Failure
Broke a series of exclusives on systemic security failures during the November 2013 Los Angeles airport shooting, leading directly to an on-site congressional hearing and policy reforms.
Investigative  ·  Public Safety
USA TODAY
Two Decades Behind Bars: A Mohawk Nation Man's Fight for Freedom
Criminal justice investigation focused on systemic inequities — reporting contributed to the release of a Mohawk nation man sentenced to de facto life in prison.
Criminal Justice  ·  Investigative
dot.LA
The Rise and Fall of Genius Fund's $164-million Cannabis Empire
Exclusive narrative investigation into a failed U.S. cannabis fund backed by a Russian oligarch — exposing the intersection of foreign money, regulatory gaps, and American business culture.
Business  ·  Investigative
Los Angeles Times
Arrested in O.C.? A DNA Sample Could Buy Freedom
Investigation into the Orange County District Attorney's Office practice of dropping charges against defendants in exchange for DNA samples — a program that quietly built one of the largest local genetic databases in the country.
Investigative  ·  Criminal Justice

Craft &
Capabilities.

Reporting Beats

  • Investigative journalism
  • National security & cybersecurity
  • Criminal justice
  • Technology & AI
  • Law enforcement
  • Science & environment
  • Global politics

Editorial

  • Developmental editing
  • Narrative & long-form essays
  • Editorial AI policy
  • Commissioning & pitching
  • Fact-checking workflows
  • Print production cycles
  • Writer mentorship

Multimedia

  • Radio production
  • Podcast & audio
  • Video shooting & editing
  • Page design
  • Social media strategy
  • Data journalism (Python)
  • 110 wpm typing

Credentials

  • IRE Data Journalism Bootcamp Fellow, 2023 — University of Missouri
  • LLS Journalist Law School Fellow, 2022
  • IRE: Paper & Database Trails
  • Python for Data Journalists
  • Cybersecurity Institute for Journalists
  • UC Berkeley, BA English & Poli Sci — summa cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa
  • La Sorbonne — Paris

Reporting from
the field.

My journalism has taken me across four continents — embedded with USAID reconstruction efforts in Baghdad, on the ground in Ukraine covering Russia's 2022 invasion, and freelancing across Southeast Asia and the Pacific.

This experience informs everything I edit and report: a practical understanding of conflict, reconstruction, and the human cost of institutional failure — alongside an instinct for the story underneath the story.

I studied at La Sorbonne in Paris and worked in the Wall Street Journal's Paris and Brussels bureaus early in my career, giving me a European lens I've carried ever since.

  • 🇮🇶
    Baghdad, Iraq
    Reporting Officer, USAID $200-million Iraq Rapid Assistance Program — 2009–2010
  • 🇺🇦
    Ukraine
    On-the-ground coverage of Russia's February 2022 invasion for USA TODAY
  • 🇫🇷
    Paris & Brussels
    Wall Street Journal European bureaus; studied at La Sorbonne — 2005–2006
  • 🌏
    Southeast Asia & Pacific
    Freelance — New Zealand, Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore — 2010–2011
  • 🌍
    Northern Europe
    Traveled to Scandinavia reporting on criminal justice systems for USA TODAY

Awards &
Honors.

2020 Distinguished Journalist, Digital Media
Society of Professional Journalists
L.A. Press Club Investigative Reporting Award
Recognition for investigative journalism
L.A. Press Club "Best Commentary"
Edited work at Noema Magazine
Climate Journalism Awards Winner
European Journalism Centre — edited work at Noema Magazine
HarperCollins Anthology Selection
"The Best American Science and Nature Writing" — edited work at Noema
AP "Best of the States" — Multiple Awards
Best national beat of the week; breaking news, The Associated Press

Beyond the
newsroom.

Industry Service

  • SABEW Awards Judge — Society for Advancing Business Editing and Writing
  • Florida Society of News Editors — Journalism Contest judge
  • USC Annenberg School for Communication & Journalism — Advised graduate course
  • Society of Professional Journalists, L.A. chapter — Former board member
  • USA TODAY — Former executive member, Diversity Committee

Outside the Office

  • Southern California Mountaineers Association — Board member
  • Multi-pitch rock climbing safety instructor — Teaching climbers to lead and protect safely on traditional big-wall routes
  • Avid mountaineer, climber, and outdoorsperson — Happiest somewhere remote with too much gear

Let's work together.

Available for editing projects, writing assignments, speaking engagements, and editorial consulting. Reach out via email or connect on LinkedIn.