Asia Fields
As an engagement reporter, I work with communities to investigate issues that matter to them.
Want to Get in Touch?
I’m always open to tips and feedback about my work. I take privacy seriously and can answer any questions you have about how the reporting process works.
What I Cover
I often work on projects with many sources, weaving together their individual stories to show the scale and consequences of an issue. I also aim to ensure the needs and perspectives of communities are centered in our work. I’ve covered a range of topics, including education and homelessness.
My Background
I work on national and local stories, including with our local newsroom partners. After I worked with the Idaho Statesman to crowdsource the condition of school buildings across the state, lawmakers approved $2 billion for repairs. For a series on homeless encampment sweeps, my team spoke to more than 150 people who experienced them. I’ve also contributed to projects on the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act, child welfare and voting rights.
Before joining ProPublica in 2022, I worked at The Seattle Times, where I helped lead coverage of the nation’s first known coronavirus outbreak and reported extensively on Title IX and sexual misconduct in higher education.
My work has received awards including the Knight Award for Public Service and the Gather Award in Community-Centered Journalism.
Did You Work on a Terminated NIH Grant? ProPublica Wants to Hear From You.
The National Institutes of Health is canceling grants that are seen as conflicting with the Trump administration’s priorities. We want to hear from researchers who have been affected.
Help Us Report on How the Department of Education Is Handling Civil Rights Cases
Have you recently filed a civil rights complaint or do you have a pending case? We need your help to get a full picture of how the dismantling of the Office for Civil Rights is affecting students, parents, school employees and their communities.
Connecticut DMV Never Set Up System to Enforce a Century-Old Towing Law
Towing companies can sell vehicles if owners don’t reclaim them or can’t afford the fees. To protect drivers, they’re supposed to turn over unclaimed profits, but the state says that’s never happened.
Local Reporting Network
Want to Report on Homelessness? Here’s What Our Sources Taught Us About Engaging Responsibly.
Homelessness is at a record high, and there are many investigative stories to tell. We’ve compiled some of the tips and lessons we learned from our sources for other reporters pursuing this coverage.
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.
Local Reporting Network
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.
Local Reporting Network
“I Have Lost Everything”: The Toll of Cities’ Homeless Sweeps
Cities often take belongings — including important documents and irreplaceable mementos — when they conduct sweeps of homeless encampments. ProPublica gave notecards to people across the country so they could explain what they lost in their own words.
Cities Say They Store Property Taken From Homeless Encampments. People Rarely Get Their Things Back.
Storage programs are meant to protect people’s property rights and allow them to reclaim their possessions. But they rarely accomplish either objective, according to a ProPublica investigation of cities with the largest homeless populations.
Swept Away
From birth certificates to loved ones’ ashes, these are just some of the belongings cities take when they clear homeless encampments.
We Enlisted a Community to Help Us Report on One State’s Crumbling Schools. Here’s How You Can Do the Same.
Do you want to document problems with school facilities around your state? Reporters from ProPublica and The Idaho Statesman offer some tips.
Local Reporting Network
Have You Experienced Homelessness? Do You Work With People Who Have? Connect With Our Reporters.
We’re working with journalists in New York, Maine and Oregon on projects related to homelessness. We’re also interested in how cities have further criminalized sleeping outside. Learn more about our work and how to get in touch.