Ryanne Mena is an award-winning journalist driven by passionate curiosity and a love for the world. Born and raised in Los Angeles, she continues to report from her hometown, telling stories with depth, empathy, and a commitment to truth.

She is currently a crime and public safety reporter for the Southern California News Group.

Ryanne has reported on fast-moving events like the devastating Los Angeles wildfires and breaking crime news, court cases, and is also pursuing deeper stories on immigration, including how unaccompanied minors navigate the complexities of immigration court.

Previously, she was a data team intern at ProPublica through the Ida B. Wells Society for Investigative Reporting, where she contributed to several investigative projects through research and data gathering.

She has also reported on education, labor, mental health, the environment and the arts for LAist, an NPR affiliate station in Los Angeles, as a newsroom intern.

She earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism from California State University, Northridge, in 2022. Before graduating, she was a part of NPR’s NextGen program, where she reported on how the changing climate affects nature’s pollinators, the bees. During her time at The Daily Sundial, CSUN’s student-run news publication, she spearheaded a story focusing on the experiences of people formerly detained at an ICE detention center in Adelanto, California. That story was honored with an award from the Hearst Journalism Awards Program.

Whether digging through documents or speaking with vulnerable sources, Ryanne leads with her humanness—driven by the belief that journalism should serve and reflect the communities it covers.

Through her work, she strives to amplify the voices of marginalized communities and individuals.

Learn more about her work or get in contact by checking out her resume.