When I was 13 years old, I wrote an eighth-grade graduation speech about how I wanted to become a journalist. At the time, I told the audience that I longed for two things: to tell the stories of my community and to make my city and state a better place.
A decade later, I joined the Public Investigator team at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel where I take tips, chase leads, and expose problems facing residents throughout the state.
Since joining the Journal Sentinel in September, I have written stories and answered readers' questions about evictions , medical billing , disability rights , and more. The reporting has helped to connect readers with powerful decision-makers, resolve burdensome financial disputes and address unsafe conditions in their homes and communities.
Among my early stories was the attempted eviction of 98-year-old Carolyn Bolton , whose daughter reached out to Public Investigator after her mother received a wrongful eviction notice under her door.
The story led to dozens of residents at Sycamore Place apartments, where Bolton lived, reaching out with similar concerns about treatment of residents, who are mostly Black and older.
Following the publication of the stories, the owners of Sycamore Place Apartments apologized to Bolton and hired new management. In June, the story won a first-place Society for Features Journalism Award .
Last winter, I followed Milwaukee bar owner Jewel Currie’s experience trying to get his wheelchair lift repaired. Delays left Currie stuck on the second floor of his apartment for almost two weeks. Experts said the ordeal reflected a national struggle for individuals seeking repairs to assistive mobility technology like wheelchair lifts.
Since reporting the story in December, I have continued to pursue stories about health, disability and barriers to accessibility in Wisconsin.
Throughout the spring, my colleague Quinn Clark and I reported several stories about readers with health insurance issues. Together, we fielded dozens of calls and emails from patients facing unexplained or confusing bills for standard medical and preventative care.
One of our stories documented a couple’s struggle to fight a $10,000 bill for a colonoscopy related to a misprint on their insurance card and use of an out-of-network provider. After months of inquiries from Public Investigator, the charges were discounted by $3,700.
In recent weeks, fellow Public Investigator reporter Gina Castro and I also reported on a contractor with a string of lawsuits who took $2,500 from an elderly couple for a bathroom remodel project. Shortly after we reached out about the situation, Home Depot agreed to compensate the couple their money.
Over the past ten months, our Public Investigator trio has helped people save more than $10,000.
Often, our process begins with a community member contacting Public Investigator with a problem or concern.
After gaining consent to investigate the person's tip, we bring the issue to the governing body, authority, or stakeholders involved to see if they have insight or solutions. We also seek out third-party experts and regulatory officials to offer perspective.
Most of the time, we write a story about our findings. But there are also many cases where we simply direct people to the right person or organization to get their issue resolved.
Our goal is to always be available to answer any reader's questions about all things occurring in their community. And if our reporting hasn't answered the question yet, we strive to find answers.
In April, we also hosted our first Public Investigator Spotlight Session , welcoming young members of the community to join us at Cactus Club to discuss issues that matter most to the next generation of readers and leaders in the Milwaukee area.
At the event, we heard from young Milwaukeeans who wanted more coverage of underrepresented communities , the functioning of local government and student protest movements . We have enthusiastically started to chase stories based on their suggestions and look forward to following up with more events to come.
As someone who grew up in Milwaukee, attended school here and at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and took some of my first swings at investigative reporting as an intern at the Journal Sentinel in 2021 , I take great pride in coming to work every day.
With each story, I am reminded of the importance of listening to and connecting with our neighbors, asking for help when we need it, and working together to build a community that works for all of us. In doing so, we all realize that we are a little less alone.
Tamia Fowlkes is a Public Investigator reporter for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Contact her at tfowlkes@gannett.com.
Contact the Public Investigator team
Government corruption. Corporate wrongdoing. Consumer complaints. Medical scams. Public Investigator is a new initiative of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and its sister newsrooms across Wisconsin. Our team wants to hear your tips, chase the leads and uncover the truth. We'll investigate anywhere in Wisconsin. Send your tips to watchdog@journalsentinel.com or call 414-319-9061. You can also submit tips at jsonline.com/tips .
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Public Investigator Tamia Fowlkes on taking tips, chasing leads and telling stories about her community
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