Kristal Raheem selected for 2026 Data Institute

Oakland Voices alum Kristal Raheem recently participated in the Ida B. Wells Society for Investigative Reporting’s 2026 Data Institute, a nationally competitive training program for journalists.

Raheem, an Oakland-based freelance journalist, was chosen from a pool of roughly 200 applicants. The two-week institute, held at Howard University in Washington, D.C., brought together journalists from across the country for hands-on instruction in data analysis, visualization, design, web scraping, and coding interactive projects.

Raheem said the institute helped her consider how data can validate the lived experiences of her sources and place their personal stories within larger systems of oppression.

“I’m interested in writing more stories about survivors of gender-based violence and human trafficking,” Raheem said. “When I listen to survivors, I’m always thinking about how their personal story might connect to the larger context of oppression in this country. Data helps me do that.”

The program also encouraged participants to question the information they encounter. Raheem said one of its most important lessons was that no dataset is perfect. Journalists must identify what is incomplete, inconsistent, or missing before relying upon it.

While researching her areas of interest, she found it difficult to locate current and consistent data from law enforcement agencies and government websites.

“That’s a story worth exploring, which is something I did not consider before joining the program,” she said.

For her final presentation, Raheem developed a webpage featuring a quote from pioneering journalist and sociologist Ida B. Wells: “The way to right wrongs is to turn the light of truth upon them.”

Raheem said the institute reminded her that she does not have to choose between journalism and sociology. She plans to continue investigating human trafficking, the criminalization of survivors, and missing-person cases while strengthening her ability to work with datasets and create data visualizations.

“As a journalist, the Data Institute gave me tools to continue shining a light on the darkest shadows of our society,” she said.

The Ida B. Wells Society co-sponsors the institute with the Center for Journalism & Democracy at Howard University.