About Salena Zito

Salena Zito

Salena Zito

Salena Zito joined the Washington Examiner in 2016 as a Western Pennsylvania-based columnist and reporter covering national politics and culture. She is also a weekly columnist at the New York Post, contributes to The Wall Street Journal and co-authored “The Great Revolt: Inside the Populist Coalition Reshaping American Politics” with Brad Todd. In 2018, she won first place for her columns in the Associated Press for her coverage of American politics, and she also won the Barbara Olson award for excellence and independence in journalism.

She has taught journalism at the Harvard Institute of Politics, Washington and Lee University, and Hillsdale College.

She has interviewed every president, vice president and candidate who sought their party’s nomination on both sides of the aisle in the 21st century.

...

The Endless Horizon: Why Generations of Landlocked Appalachians Keep Coming Back to Erie Aug 18, 2026

ERIE, Pennsylvania — Long before the furthest-left corner of the Commonwealth began welcoming millions of sunbathers, Presque Isle State Park served as a critical shield for a young nation. During the War of 1812, the peninsula's natural, 5.8-s... Read More

...

Reclaiming the Middle: Chautauqua's Slow Push Toward Balance Aug 11, 2026

CHAUTAUQUA, New York — The road here feels like one of those places that America keeps tucked away on purpose — the kind that you don't stumble into by accident. You come in from the hills and hollows and farm country, past the modest sto... Read More

...

How Pittsburgh Became the Early Alarm Bell for the DSA's Rise Aug 04, 2026

PITTSBURGH — The rise of the Democratic left in Pittsburgh did not happen overnight. It was built over years through patient organizing, disciplined recruiting and a clear-eyed focus on the races that mattered most: low-turnout primaries where ... Read More

...

Inside Meta's Bet on the Dignity of Work Jul 28, 2026

INDIANAPOLIS, Indiana — Until recently, Lanyia Brooks worked as a custodian in a data center, where she spent her days maintaining the facility while watching tech professionals build the infrastructure around her. Brooks said that perspective ... Read More