Kirsten Berg
I cover the federal government and related national and international issues.
Have a Tip for a Story?
I’m interested in tips about records across federal agencies. I take confidentiality seriously and welcome ideas via secure email, Signal or postal mail.
What I Cover
I’ve contributed to investigations on a range of topics, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s hobbled response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the rise and ramifications of Chinese transnational repression and organized crime, and the federal judiciary’s repeated failures to provide ethical oversight for its judges.
My Background
My collaborations with colleagues at ProPublica have received numerous honors, including the 2024 Pulitzer Prize for Public Service, a Selden Ring Award, an Investigative Reporters and Editors Award and medal, and recognition as a finalist for the 2021 Pulitzer Prize for Public Service.
Prior to joining ProPublica, I was an editor at Future Tense, the deputy director of the New America Fellows program and a reporter at the New England Center for Investigative Reporting. I was also once an intern at ProPublica.
Inside the Creation of Trump’s Stolen Election Myth
Internal emails and interviews with key participants reveal for the first time the extent to which leading advocates of the rigged election theory touted evidence they knew to be disproven, disputed or dismissed as dubious.
Even on U.S. Campuses, China Cracks Down on Students Who Speak Out
Students and scholars from China who criticize the regime in Beijing can face quick retaliation from fellow students and Chinese officials who harass their families back home. U.S. universities rarely intervene.
Operation Fox Hunt
中国向海外派出秘密小组将被控经济犯罪的人带回中国，无论这些人受到的指控是否正当。这个全球性的行动让目标人物的家人充当人质，迫使移民成为间谍——本文写的是美国新泽西州一个家庭的经历。
6 Questions Officials Still Haven’t Answered After Weeks of Hearings on the Capitol Attack
More than 15 hours of testimony failed to answer fundamental questions about the Capitol attack. Among them: Why national security officials responded differently to BLM protesters than to Trump supporters.
“I Don’t Trust the People Above Me”: Riot Squad Cops Open Up About Disastrous Response to Capitol Insurrection
Interviews with 19 current and former officers show how failures of leadership and communication put hundreds of Capitol cops at risk and allowed rioters to get dangerously close to members of Congress.
What Parler Saw During the Attack on the Capitol
ProPublica sifted through thousands of videos taken by Parler users to create an immersive, first-person view of the Capitol riot.
“No One Took Us Seriously”: Black Cops Warned About Racist Capitol Police Officers for Years
Allegations of racism against the Capitol Police are nothing new: Over 250 Black cops have sued the department since 2001. Some of those former officers now say it’s no surprise white nationalists were able to storm the building.
Inside the Trump Administration’s Decision to Leave the World Health Organization
Despite Trump’s declared exit from the WHO, officials continued working toward reforms and to prevent withdrawal. This week, they were told they must justify any cooperation with the WHO on the grounds of national security and public health safety.
The Secret, Absurd World of Coronavirus Mask Traders and Middlemen Trying To Get Rich Off Government Money
The federal government and states have fueled an unregulated, chaotic market for masks ruled by oddballs, ganjapreneurs and a shadowy network of investors.
We’re Making Public Records Requests to Help Us Cover the Coronavirus. Tell Us What We Should Be Asking For.
Are you an expert, government employee or someone who regularly interacts with government agencies? We’re looking for those in the know to tell us what kinds of public records we should be asking for. Help us find the records that will shed light on the crisis and hold those in power to account.