Sarah Macaraeg is an investigative reporter in Memphis with The Commercial Appeal/USA Today network. Her stories have resulted in the elimination of phone fees charged juvenile detainees in Shelby County, Tennessee; a Legislative Hearing on ICE detention across New Mexico; and the regulation of a private water company in Marion, Arkansas. A longtime Chicagoan, Macaraeg previously reported in-depth on the Chicago Police Department.

Her work now encompasses a range of topics, from environmental and criminal justice to political influence and privatization. She is the recipient of the national Sidney Award for outstanding investigative journalism, the Restorative Narrative Award from Images and Voices of Hope; and a Salute to Excellence from the National Association of Black Journalists.

Macaraeg changed careers from book publishing into journalism as a contributor to The Guardian and VICE. She has since reported for Chicago Reader, Public Radio International, Reveal from the Center for Investigative Reporting and local outlets across Tennessee and New Mexico. She can be reached on Twitter @seramak or via email at sarah.macaraeg@commercialappeal.com.