About Melanie
Melanie Saltzman reports, shoots and produces stories for PBS NewsHour Weekend on a wide range of issues including public health, the environment and international affairs. In 2017 she produced two stories for NewsHour’s “America Addicted” series on the opioid epidemic, traveled to the Marshall Islands to report on climate change, and went to Kenya and Tanzania to focus on solutions-based reporting. Melanie holds a BA from New York University and an MA in Journalism from Northwestern University, where she was a McCormick National Security Fellow. In 2010, she was awarded a Fulbright scholarship in Berlin, Germany.
Melanie’s Recent Stories
Arts Jan 26
Tattooed, Mexican-American and female: Classical maestra keeps symphony in tuneAmong more than 20 of the major U.S. symphony orchestras, only one woman has the top job of principal conductor. But women are making better gains in the nation's smaller ensembles. Jessica Bejarano is leading the San Francisco Civic Symphony,…
Nation Jan 13
At U.S.-Mexico border, a tribal nation fights wall that would divide themThe Native American tribe Tohono o’odham in Arizona has a significant stake in the ongoing conflict in Congress about whether to fund President Trump’s $5.7 billion border wall. The tribe’s reservation, about the size of Connecticut, spans both countries, and…
Nation Jan 12
In ‘TransMilitary,’ troops fight for the country, banned or notA recent documentary "TransMilitary," follows four trans troops in their military journeys as the federal government flip-flops on whether they should be banned. As the battle over the ban continues in federal courts, NewsHour Weekend's Megan Thompson talks to a…
World Dec 16
Marshall Islands: A third of the nation has left for the U.S.A third of the Marshall Islands’ population has moved to the U.S., leaving a country reeling from high unemployment and the looming effects of climate change. NewsHour Weekend Special Correspondent Mike Taibbi reports. This story is part of an ongoing…
Nation Sep 30
Thousands of Indian women in the U.S. are fighting to keep work permitsThe Trump administration has signaled it plans to strip employment authorization from spouses of some H-1B visa holders. The change would mean that nearly 100,000 people -- predominantly women from India who followed their spouses to the U.S. -- would…
Arts Aug 18
Documentary reveals struggles and triumphs of world champion surfer Andy IronsAndy Irons, a three-time world champion surfer, died in 2010 at the age of 32 after battling bipolar disorder and opioid addiction. A new documentary, "Andy Irons: Kissed By God," explores Irons' experiences and how they resonate in a larger…
Nation Jun 23
Philadelphia reverses course on ‘zero tolerance’ discipline in schoolsSome school districts are rethinking "zero tolerance" discipline policies, which lead to students being arrested for minor violations and disproportionately affect students of color. In 2014, a Philadelphia deputy police commissioner reversed a longstanding policy of automatic arrests, an approach…
Nation May 27
When is it necessary for police to shoot a person?After police in Sacramento shot and killed Stephon Clark in his grandmother’s yard, California lawmakers proposed legislation that only allows police to shoot people if there are no other reasonable options. But as Newshour Weekend’s Christopher Booker reports, law enforcement…
Nation Apr 07
A personalized approach to probation saved Arizona $461 millionArizona has saved millions of dollars by keeping people out of prison since it introduced a more rigorous adult probation program 10 years ago. With classes that help people on probation create goals and learn coping skills, violations have declined…
Arts Mar 18
Fellowship allows formerly incarcerated artists to push for criminal justice reformSeven formerly incarcerated artists received $20,000 each last year through "Right of Return," a fellowship allowing them to create original artwork exploring ideas around criminal justice reform. The fellows are a diverse group of artists and work in mediums including…
