Jessica Contrera

A QAnon con

How the viral Wayfair sex trafficking lie hurt real kids

12.16.21

From Nieman Storyboard: How a reporter found the true story behind a false story of sex trafficking

The remarkable brain of a carpet cleaner who speaks 24 languages

4.5.22

Listen to the Post Reports podcast
version of this story here

Sex-trafficked kids are crime victims.
In Las Vegas, they still go to jail.

Every year, dozens of victimized teenagers are locked up after being the target of sting operations by undercover detectives.

8.28.21

The state of Ohio vs. a
sex-trafficked teenager

The criminal justice system mishandled 15-year-old Alexis
Martin’s case. Now she’s living with the consequences.

6.1.21

Washington Post report on child sex trafficking wins 2022 Anthony Shadid Award for Journalism Ethics

Desperately trying to wipe the virus away

As covid-19 threatened a group home for disabled women, their caregivers opened a stash of Clorox wipes, hoping to stop the infection from spreading

11.18.20

The lives upended around a $20 cheeseburger

A cash-strapped rancher, a virus-stricken meatpacker, an underpaid chef, a hungry engineer: The journey of a single burger during a pandemic

7.7.20

Rubber bullets and tear gas fired at White House protesters

On The Post's local enterprise team, I have had the honor of reporting and writing big breaking news in our region, such as the riot at the U.S. Capitol and the summer of protests following the death of George Floyd.

6.2.20

He was sexually abusing
underage girls. Then, police
said, one of them killed him.

Now Chrystul Kizer, who was 16 when she met Randy Volar, is accused of murdering her alleged sex trafficker.
She faces life in prison.

12.17.19

A black principal, four white teens
and the ‘senior prank’ that
became a hate crime

7.9.19

'Why did you do this?'

His brother gunned down 17 people.
But he's the only family Zach Cruz has left.

1.25.19

‘I would rather
not be alone.’

Behind their anger, students who survived the Parkland shooting are still teens struggling with trauma.

2.20.18

An unhealthy contradiction

They are poor, sick and voted for Trump. What will happen to them without Obamacare?

3.11.17

13, right now

This is what it's like to grow up in the
age of likes, lols and longing

5.25.16

The boy on the bridge

A 12-year-old boy tried to kill himself, police say.
Instead, he killed someone else.

12.13.18

A Wrenching Dilemma

Across the country, decades’ worth of rape kits are finally being tested, but no one can agree on what to do next.

2.20.18

She and her twin were inseparable. Then a gunman tore the 15-year-olds apart.

8.8.19

A Chevy Chase dog park divides the rich and powerful

Everyone knows there’s a problem with Chubbs.

7.28.19

The Waffle House

A bittersweet end for a community staple

10.22.13

for checking out my work.

By way of Akron, Ohio and Indiana University, I'm a reporter for The Washington Post.
I'm the recipient of the 2022 Anthony Shadid Award for Journalism Ethics and a three-time finalist for the Livingston Awards.
For me, this work is about spreading empathy, allowing readers to understand what it's like to be someone else and holding powerful institutions accountable. I'm always grateful to hear what's bothering you or delighting you.
Please reach out at jessica.contrera@washpost.com.
You can also find me on Twitter, which I mostly keep just to share this picture of my dog.

Photos from top left:

Sarah L. Voisin of The Washington Post

Astrid Riecken for The Washington Post

Bonnie Jo Mount of The Washington Post

Evelyn Hockstein for The Washington Post

Jose Luis Magana for AFP/Getty Images

Sarah L. Voisin of The Washington Post

Will Newton for The Washington Post

Broward County Sheriff

Jonathan Newton of The Washington Post

Bonnie Jo Mount of The Washington Post

Victoria Milko for The Washington Post

Michael Williamson of The Washington Post

Adam Ewing for The Washington Post

Michael Robinson Chavez of The Washington Post

Bill O’Leary of The Washington Post

Anna Powell Teeter, entrepreneur extraordinaire for The Indiana Daily Student