Sarahbeth Maney
I am a photojournalist documenting the impact of social issues on individuals and communities, supported by the Diamonstein-Spielvogel Foundation.
Have a Tip for a Story?
I’m interested in hearing from residents impacted by the Eaton wildfire in Altadena, California, and individuals involved in local reparations programs and DEI initiatives throughout the U.S.
What I Cover
I cover a range of stories that reflect the impact of social issues on individuals and communities.
My Background
As an investigative photojournalist, I document in-depth stories through photography that help contextualize visual evidence and humanize complex historical and policy-driven narratives. Based in Southern California, I explore photo-driven projects locally and throughout the United States.
Before joining ProPublica, I was a staff photojournalist at the Detroit Free Press. I concentrated on topics like housing insecurity, disability and social justice issues affecting Black and brown communities. I also worked as a photography fellow for The New York Times’ Washington, D.C., bureau, where I captured a poignant moment from the confirmation hearings of Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson that garnered worldwide attention.
My work has received several notable awards, including the General News Award of Excellence from Pictures of the Year International and Time’s Top 10 Photos of the Year. The Library of Congress acquired a series of my photos in 2020. In 2022, I became the first-ever photojournalist honored by the National Association of Black Journalists as Emerging Journalist of the Year.
Ten Years After the Flint Water Crisis, Distrust and Anger Linger
A city is forever changed, and so is residents’ relationship with their water. The betrayal of trust by the institutions meant to protect Flint’s residents has made some of them extra cautious as they look to keep themselves and their community safe.
In a Town Full of Segregation Academies, One Black Family Grapples With the Best School Choice for Their Daughter
Schools in Macon, Georgia, are still largely segregated. Zo’e Johnson’s family is torn over whether they can afford for her to stay at her mostly white private school — and whether the cost makes sense.
Neglect at Boarding School for Autistic Youth Left a Student With Vision Loss, Lawsuit Alleges
Washington education officials have told public districts in the state not to send new students to Shrub Oak International School in New York, citing ProPublica’s reporting and a visit to the campus.
Finding Focus: How a Visual Storyteller Gets the Right Image — and the Right Tone
Photography is a powerful journalistic tool, providing visual evidence and evoking emotions that urge us to understand the experiences of others. Here, ProPublica’s Sarahbeth Maney offers suggestions for aspiring visual storytellers.
“Not Just Measles”: Whooping Cough Cases Are Soaring as Vaccine Rates Decline
While much of the country is focused on the spiraling measles outbreak, experts warn that whooping cough and other preventable diseases could get much worse with falling vaccination rates and Trump’s slashing of public health infrastructure.
“A Wholly Inaccurate Picture”: Reality Cop Show “The First 48” and the Wrongly Convicted Man
Edgar Barrientos-Quintana spent 16 years behind bars wrongly convicted for a shooting featured on “The First 48.” The Minnesota attorney general’s office effectively alleged that the show shaped the case instead of the case shaping the show.
In Five Years, Chicago Has Barely Made Progress on Its Court-Ordered Police Reforms. Here’s Why.
Chicago police agreed to judicial oversight in 2019. Since then, a series of mayors and police chiefs let efforts languish and no one in a position of oversight has pushed forcefully to keep the process on track, WTTW News and ProPublica found.
Fossil Fuel Interests Are Working to Kill Solar in One Ohio County. The Hometown Newspaper Is Helping.
A retired gas industry executive, a shadowy “grassroots” group and a controversial media company are spreading misinformation while turning residents against a proposed solar farm — and each other.
Michigan Bottlers Still Get Free Water, Despite Whitmer’s Tough Talk
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer had pledged to crack down on bottled water companies taking water at the same time Flint, Michigan, faced a water crisis. Six years later and in her second term, little has changed.
How Residents in a Rural Alabama County Are Confronting the Lasting Harm of Segregation Academies
In Wilcox County, Alabama, many people say they want to bridge racial divides created by their segregated schools. But they must face a long and painful history.
Segregation Academies Still Operate Across the South. One Town Grapples With Its Divided Schools.
Seventy years after Brown v. Board, Black and white residents, in Camden, Alabama, say they would like to see their children schooled together. But after so long apart, they aren’t sure how to make it happen.
Even When a Cop Is Killed With an Illegally Purchased Weapon, the Gun Store’s Name Is Kept Secret
A 2003 law pushed by the gun industry limits the information shared by federal agents and shields gun shops from public scrutiny, but ProPublica was able to identify the store that sold the gun used in the shooting of a Chicago police officer.
Inside the Historic Suit That the Gun Industry and Republicans Are on the Verge of Killing
For 25 years, gunmakers have repeatedly tried to end one city’s lawsuit over illegal gun sales. Meanwhile, illicit purchases of firearms continued at an unrelenting and hazardous pace.
Utah Bills Itself as “Family-Friendly” Even as Lawmakers Have Long Neglected Child Care
Federal relief had improved access to child care. But when funding expired, the state rejected proposals to replace it. Some advocates say the historical influence of the LDS church has added to the resistance.