# Wesley Lowery

> Wesley Lowery is a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, author, and media critic whose decade of reporting on criminal justice, race, and policing in America has made him one of the most consequential voices in modern journalism. Best known for leading the Washington Post's 'Fatal Force' database - the first real-time national tracker of fatal police shootings - Lowery has written two landmark books, built a distinctive independent newsletter, and become an outspoken advocate for objective, truth-centered journalism that refuses false balance. His career spans the Washington Post, CBS News, The Marshall Project, and academia, and his 2016 book 'They Can't Kill Us All' remains essential reading on race, protest, and the limits of American democracy.

- **Role:** Independent Journalist / Self-Employed
- **Organizations:** The Marshall Project, CBS News, Prison Journalism Project, Knight Columbia
- **From:** United States
- **Nationality:** American
- **Education:** Journalism, Ohio University
- **Known for:** Pulitzer Prize for National Reporting, 2016 (Washington Post Fatal Force team), George Polk Award, 2016, for Fatal Force database, Peabody Award, 2016, for Fatal Force database

## Career timeline

- **2012-2013** — Reporting fellow at the Los Angeles Times
- **2013-2014** — General assignment political reporter at Boston Globe; covered Aaron Hernandez trial, Boston mayoral race, Boston Marathon bombing manhunt
- **2014** — Named NABJ Emerging Journalist of the Year
- **2014** — Joined The Washington Post
- **2014** — Arrested while reporting on Ferguson protests
- **2014-2020** — Led 'Fatal Force' database at Washington Post - first national real-time tracker of fatal police shootings
- **2016** — Won Pulitzer Prize for National Reporting for Fatal Force project (team)
- **2016** — Won George Polk Award and Peabody Award for Fatal Force
- **2016** — Published 'They Can't Kill Us All' (Little, Brown)
- **2020** — Left Washington Post; joined CBS News as on-air correspondent
- **2021** — Joined The Marshall Project as contributing editor and senior reporter
- **2022** — Published 'American Whitelash' (Little, Brown)
- **2022** — Elected Board Chair of Prison Journalism Project
- **2022** — Journalist in Residence at CUNY Newmark J-School
- **2023** — Joined American University School of Communication as associate professor and executive editor of Investigative Reporting Workshop
- **2024** — Addressed Westminster Town Hall Forum on justice, race, and journalism
- **2025** — Resigned from American University amid Title IX complaints; returned to independent reporting

## Achievements

- Pulitzer Prize for National Reporting, 2016 (Washington Post Fatal Force team)
- George Polk Award, 2016, for Fatal Force database
- Peabody Award, 2016, for Fatal Force database
- NABJ Emerging Journalist of the Year, 2014
- New York Times bestselling author with 'They Can't Kill Us All'
- Christopher Isherwood Prize for Autobiographical Prose (LA Times Book Prizes) for 'They Can't Kill Us All'
- Led Fatal Force, the first-ever real-time national database of fatal police shootings
- Board Chair, Prison Journalism Project (from 2022)
- Journalist in Residence, CUNY Newmark J-School (2022)
- Associate Professor and Executive Editor, Investigative Reporting Workshop, American University (2023-2025)

## Latest updates

- **2025-03** — Resigned from American University and the Investigative Reporting Workshop amid Title IX complaints; returned to independent journalism
- **2025-05** — Columbia Journalism Review published multi-part investigation into allegations of workplace misconduct
- **2024-05** — Addressed Westminster Town Hall Forum on justice, race, and the role of journalism
- **2024-01** — Continued contributions to CBS News and The Marshall Project

## Links

- Website: https://www.wesleyjlowery.com/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wesley-lowery-52a7a0143/
- Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/WesleyLowery
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JournalistWesleyLowery/

---

Profile page: https://yespress.io/wesley-lowery
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-04-24