Hi, my name is Daniel Medina. I’m an investigative journalist based in New York City.
As an independent journalist and previously as a senior writer for CNN’s investigative unit, I’ve reported ambitious, long-term accountability investigations, as well as rapid response investigations around major breaking news events in the U.S. and abroad. In doing so, I’ve broken stories and developed OSINT skills to supplement my reporting.
Some of that work includes: An investigation that looked at the case of a severely mentally ill Guantanamo Bay detainee who the U.S. government publicly admitted torturing; a report on how a Kentucky green startup, App Harvest, promoted for years by Vice President J.D. Vance, duped its investors and subjected its workers to miserable conditions and an investigation which I reported from Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, that examined how the Trump Organization's foreign business partners touted his presidency while promoting projects, among other stories.
Prior to joining CNN in 2021, I was a Livingston Award finalist for an investigation about the plight of undocumented adoptees in the United States that led to a bill in Congress. Before that, I worked as a digital producer at NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt and as a frequent contributing digital reporter for NBCNews.com. In my role, I regularly produced original reporting, appearing on both TV, online and on all NBC News’ social platforms. Prior to NBC, I was a contributor for The Guardian US and Al Jazeera English. At The Guardian US, my investigation into abuses within New York City's foster care system revealed that the city’s Administration for Children’s Services (ACS) had for years abused its power in family courts, wrongly taken children into custody and inadequately assisted those it claimed to help.
I grew up in the Washington, D.C. area and speak fluent Spanish and conversational Arabic. I hold a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Miami and Master’s degrees in journalism and international affairs from Columbia University.