Diana Opong
Reporter & Host
About
Diana Opong is a general assignment reporter at KUOW, committed to illuminating impactful stories throughout the Pacific Northwest. Her journalistic lens spans between environmental phenomena like invasive green crabs to transformative milestones in ballet. Rooted in curiosity, Diana's approach to reporting blends meticulous research with collaborative storytelling, ensuring her work resonates deeply with audiences. She has also showcased her expertise as a freelance host for NPR's Life Kit and as a spot news reporter for NPR News, consistently delivering insightful narratives that resonate with diverse audiences.
Location: Seattle
Languages: English
Pronouns: she/her
Professional Affiliations: Member of SBJA, PMJA, SPJ, AIR Media
Stories
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After 25 years, the Makah will be allowed to hunt whales once again
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Should schools ban cell phones?
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Layoffs at Everett's Daily Herald leads to a Strike
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Environment
Pierce County hopes to cultivate community gardens with new seed libraries
The Pierce County Library System is calling all gardening enthusiasts and wannabes to get excited about their new sustainable seed libraries.
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Crime
A night on patrol with Seattle's 'real-life superheroes'
A group of volunteer vigilantes are fighting crime in the dark of the night. Soundside producer Alec Cowan recently joined two heroes on patrol to hear more about the work local superheroes are doing.
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Arts & Life
As a teen, they found belonging at this LGBTQ+ youth center. Now, they're paying it forward
Soundside revisits a story produced by RadioActive alum Avery Styer back in 2016. Eight years ago, Avery took us to a space in Capitol Hill that had a special spot in their life - Lambert House, a community center for LGBTQ+ youth. Since that original story, Avery has aged out of the youth programs Lambert House currently offers, but that doesn’t mean they’ve moved on.
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Crime
Can King County actually close its youth jail? It's not so simple, audit finds
In 2020, amid racial justice protests, King County Executive Dow Constantine vowed to close a newly-built youth detention facility in the next five years. A new county audit of the facility, called the Judge Patricia H. Clark Children and Family Justice Center, points out the complications of actually accomplishing Constantine’s goal.
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Technology
What former Binance CEO's money laundering conviction could mean for crypto crime
This week a Seattle federal court sentenced Changpeng Zhao -- founder and former CEO of the world's largest cryptocurrency exchange, Binance -- to four months in prison. In contrast to the high-profile case of FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried, who used his crypto exchange to defraud billions of dollars from its users, Zhao pled guilty to not doing more to prevent money laundering on his exchange.
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Education
Washington spends big on early education. So, why is it so hard to get your kid into preschool?
Washington ranked 33rd in preschool access for 4-year-olds. Yet Washington ranks eighth in terms of spending. So, what gives?
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Books
Hear it again: How Stephanie Land took on hunger and higher education
In this encore broadcast, Soundside guest host Diana Opong revisits a conversation with author Stephanie Land. Land had just published a book about her experience of going to college as a single mother, and the struggles she faced working towards her degree. Her second book is titled “Class, A Memoir of Motherhood, Hunger, and Higher Education.”