Williamena Kwapo is a multimedia reporter and an inaugural Ida B. Wells Society Investigative Reporting Fellow.

Learn more about Williamena in this Q&A.

Please describe your reporting project in less than 200 words.

My reporting project tackles the ongoing issue of pedestrian fatalities in Sacramento. My project looks at datasets to determine where people are most likely to be hit by a moving vehicle as well as who is likely to die. As the Black Press, we also plan to zoom in on how Black folks in Sacramento measure up in the data. Currently, they are disproportionately impacted. My report zooms in on their stories and highlights the impact of pedestrian fatalities.

What made you apply to this program?

I applied to the program to gain investigative reporting skills like data analysis, visualization, and the opportunity to dig into a topic in a way that helps me tell the full story.

What is the most impactful investigative reporting tool/trick you learned through this fellowship?

The most impactful tool I’ve learned in the fellowship is how to clean and analyze my datasets.

Why was it important to pursue/publish this story idea and what impact do you see it having?

This specific topic was important for my paper because of the frequency with which it occurs and those who are impacted. I hope that my reporting highlights that these deaths could be avoided if proper precautions are put in place and that families do not have to be broken because of a pedestrian accident.

Why is investigative journalism important to you?

Investigative journalism is watchdog journalism. It helps keep people deeply informed in a way that everyday news cannot.