About Me!
Hi! I’m Chaya Tong, a journalist covering Austin City Hall for The Austin American-Statesman.
Before coming to Austin, I worked on the investigative team at The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. I’ve also covered state politics for Politico and The Georgia Recorder, breaking news for The Daily Beast, told stories about FBI cold cases for Atlanta’s NPR/PBS affiliate, WABE, built a race and equity beat at the Clarion Ledger/USA Today Network and worked on investigative teams at The Chronicle of Higher Education and The Washington Post.
I’m originally from San Francisco, but I’ve reported across the country from both coasts and in the South. My reporting has been recognized with the Bill Minor Prize for Investigative Reporting, the Mississippi Press Association’s highest journalism award, for an investigation I pitched while interning at the Clarion Ledger in Jackson. I was also named a ProPublica Emerging Reporter for my work in investigative journalism.
I graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Emory University with a B.A. in English and biology.
When I’m not reporting, I love thrifting, sipping matcha lattes and exploring new cities :) Feel free to drop me a line at chaya.tong@statesman.com!
My most recent work for the Statesman can be found at: https://www.statesman.com/author/chaya-tong/
Selected Clips
One Lake Project could flood parts of South Jackson. Residents there had no idea
One Lake Project could flood parts of South Jackson. Residents there had no idea
One Lake Project could flood parts of South Jackson. Residents there had no idea
Meteorite hunters chase treasures after fireball streaks across Georgia
One Lake Project could flood parts of South Jackson. Residents there had no idea
One Lake Project could flood parts of South Jackson. Residents there had no idea
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Why Faculty Members Are Fleeing Florida
One Lake Project could flood parts of South Jackson. Residents there had no idea
Georgia AI-generated child pornography case spurs legislative action
https://www.chronicle.com/article/why-faculty-members-are-fleeing-florida?sra=true
The Chronicle of Higher Education
Georgia AI-generated child pornography case spurs legislative action
Brick and mortar reminders of Georgia’s mistreatment of psychiatric patients could be erased soon
Georgia AI-generated child pornography case spurs legislative action
Has JTRAN really improved since its March relaunch? We rode buses to find out
Brick and mortar reminders of Georgia’s mistreatment of psychiatric patients could be erased soon
Brick and mortar reminders of Georgia’s mistreatment of psychiatric patients could be erased soon
Brick and mortar reminders of Georgia’s mistreatment of psychiatric patients could be erased soon
Brick and mortar reminders of Georgia’s mistreatment of psychiatric patients could be erased soon
Brick and mortar reminders of Georgia’s mistreatment of psychiatric patients could be erased soon