Joel Jacobs
I’m a data reporter at ProPublica. I find, build and analyze datasets to shine light on a wide range of issues.
Have a Tip for a Story?
Do you have an interesting dataset to share? A consumer or government issue that hasn’t gotten enough attention? I want to hear from you.
What I Cover
I use data to cover a wide range of topics, and I am particularly interested in consumer protection and government accountability. I like to think creatively about what data can tell us about important and underreported issues, even if no one is directly tracking them. For example, I have analyzed bankruptcy data to report on online tribal loans and used 911 call logs to examine New Mexico’s child welfare system.
I often work in partnership with local newsrooms across the country, as part of ProPublica’s Local Reporting Network. Our series on high-interest title lending in Georgia won two SPJ Green Eyeshade Awards in 2024.
My Background
Before joining ProPublica, I was a data reporter on the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s investigations team, where I worked on a variety of award-winning projects including examining bridge infrastructure issues, hospital price transparency and public housing conditions. I also covered the impact of COVID-19 on nursing homes for The Washington Post. I completed my master’s degree in journalism at Northwestern University and previously worked as a software engineer.
How We Found the School District Responsible for Much of New Mexico’s Outsized Discipline of Native Students
New Mexico does not publish public school discipline data. When we looked at it, we found that Native American students in the state were disciplined more than their white peers.
Local Reporting Network
How Title Lending Works
Title lenders in the U.S. often use predatory practices to trap customers in high-interest loans, ProPublica recently reported. This guide will help you understand how title lending works and what your options are if you’re stuck in a contract.
Local Reporting Network
How Title Lenders Trap Poor Americans in Debt With Triple-Digit Interest Rates
For some Georgia residents, title pawn contracts offer a quick way to obtain desperately needed cash. But poor regulation of a confusing system traps many borrowers in high-interest debt they can’t pay off.
Local Reporting Network
These Foster Kids Need Mental Health Care. New Mexico Is Putting Them in Homeless Shelters.
Youth crisis shelters aren’t set up to deal with foster youth who need intensive mental health treatment. When teens try to harm themselves or others, staff resort to calling 911.
Local Reporting Network