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Ryanne Mena

Ryanne Mena is a data team intern at ProPublica through the Ida B. Wells Society for Investigative Reporting.

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Ryanne Mena is a data team intern at ProPublica through the Ida B. Wells Society for Investigative Reporting.

Previously, she was a newsroom intern at LAist, an NPR affiliate station in Los Angeles, where she reported on education, mental health, the environment, labor unions and the arts. She uncovered how a local school district was sitting on a large donation of Minion Beanie Babies.

She earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism from California State University, Northridge, in 2022. Before graduating, she was a part of NPR’s NextGen program, where she reported on how the changing climate affects nature’s pollinators, bees. During her time at The Daily Sundial, CSUN’s student-run news publication, she spearheaded a story focusing on the experiences of people formerly detained at an ICE detention center in Adelanto, California. That story was honored with an award from the Hearst Journalism Awards Program.

While attending Santa Monica College, where she earned an associate degree in communication studies, she was a part of the campus’ student-run newspaper, The Corsair. There she reported on a website that blacklisted students involved in a pro-Palestinian club on campus. She also reported on migrant caravans arriving at the southern border in 2018 and 2019 for the student publication.

On the Hook

Gone in 15 Days: How the Connecticut DMV Allows Tow Companies to Sell People’s Cars

A law intended to deal with abandoned vehicles is making it hard for low-income people to get their cars back after they’re towed. The consequences can extend far beyond the cost of the car.

by Dave Altimari and Ginny Monk, The Connecticut Mirror, and Haru Coryne, ProPublica,

Local Reporting Network

On the Hook

El DMV de Connecticut permite que las compañías remolcadoras vendan los vehículos que recogen en tan solo 15 días

Una ley creada para hacer frente a los vehículos abandonados se ha convertido en un obstáculo para que las personas de bajos ingresos recuperen sus autos cuando se los lleva la grúa. Las consecuencias pueden ir mucho más allá del costo del vehículo.

por Dave Altimari y Ginny Monk, The Connecticut Mirror, y Haru Coryne, ProPublica,

Local Reporting Network

After Nike Leaders Promised Climate Action, Their Corporate Jets Kept Flying — and Polluting

Nike has staked a claim as a corporate leader on sustainability. Yet company disclosures show that its jets emitted almost 20% more carbon dioxide last year than in 2015. It’s one small factor in Nike’s failure to slash emissions as promised.

by Rob Davis, Agnel Philip and Alex Mierjeski, ProPublica, and Matthew Kish, The Oregonian/OregonLive,