Tigist Geme is a multimedia journalist working for the Voice of America’s Horn of Africa service since 2015. 

She covers a range of topics, including politics, human rights, youth, minorities, and social issues. Tigist hosts a daily TV show that reaches millions of Oromo-speaking audiences in Ethiopia and its diaspora. She also manages the service’s website and social media platforms. Check out her reports in English, Afaan Oromo, and  Amharic languages. 

Tigist’s seven-part special multimedia project on women and minority-owned businesses in Minnesota first of its kind in profiling the Oromo community of Minnesota. A story from that series, “From Dishwasher to Millionaire, Ethiopian Refugee Achieves American Dream,” was one of the most widely read and versioned in at least ten languages, and other outlets picked it up. Tigist appears on TV shows within VOA Africa service to give expert analysis of current affairs in Ethiopia. 

She tells America’s story to a global audience and stories that promote press freedom and democracy in the Horn of Africa. In addition to many high-impact stories on Ethiopia, Tigist reported from the South by Southwest and a weeklong soccer tournament in Minnesota and covered two U.S. presidential elections. She interviewed many newsmakers, including government officials, activists, and opposition leaders from Ethiopia.

Tigist’s work has appeared on AlJazeera America and  StarTribue. 

Prior to joining Voice of America, Tigist co-founded Oromia Media Network, the first independent television network in the Oromo language. Broadcasting to Ethiopia via satellite and streaming worldwide on social media, the network quickly became an overnight success.

In 2009, she served as co-host of a popular internet-based community radio, Dagalee Media.