Nikie Johnson is a data reporter for the Southern California News Group, a family of 11 newspapers covering a huge and diverse four-county region that’s home to almost 20 million people. After growing up in the Midwest, she sought out places where it doesn’t snow: the University of Houston, the Florida Times-Union in Jacksonville and The Press-Enterprise in Riverside. As her career path moved from copy editor to assistant metro editor to breaking news/online editor, she contributed to award-winning coverage of major events including devastating wildfires, an ex-cop’s murderous rampage and the San Bernardino terrorist mass shooting. After the P-E became part of SCNG, she eagerly joined a newly created data team, where she seeks to use numbers and public records to uncover meaningful stories.