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Lois Beckett

Lois Beckett is a ProPublica reporter covering politics, big data and information privacy issues.

Lois Beckett has been a reporter for ProPublica since 2011. She covers the intersection of data, technology and politics, with a current focus on gun violence and gun policy. Her Essence Magazine story on PTSD caused by gun violence, âBlack Americaâs Invisible Crisis,â won a 2015 Deadline Award for public service and a NABJ Salute to Excellence Award in investigative journalism. Previously, she covered the ways politicians use data to target votersâlooking at online ad targeting and the data broker industry. She is a frequent guest on nationally syndicated TV and radio programs, including CNN Newsroom, NPRâs On Point, KQEDâs Forum and WAMUâs Kojo Nnamdi Show, and also speaks about her reporting at conferences, most recently at the World Forum for Democracy in Strasbourg. With Olga Pierce and Jeff Larson, she won the 2011 Livingston Award for National Reporting, which honors outstanding achievement by journalists under the age of 35. She was also a finalist for a 2012 Livingston Award. Before joining ProPublica, she covered innovation in the news industry for the SF Weekly and the Nieman Journalism Lab.

Everything We Know About What Data Brokers Know About You

The companies that sell information about how much money you make — and whether you’re pregnant, divorced, or trying to lose weight — are facing new scrutiny.

by Lois Beckett,

Under the Gun

Myth vs. Fact: Violence and Mental Health

A Q&A with an expert who studies the relationship between mental illness and violence.

by Lois Beckett,

Under the Gun

The Best Reporting on Guns in America

In the wake of last week’s shooting, we’ve laid out the most revealing reporting about guns.

by Blair Hickman, Cora Currier, Hanqing Chen, Lois Beckett and Suevon Lee,

Under the Gun

Democrats Push to Restart CDC Funding for Gun Violence Research

New legislation would increase CDC funding for gun violence research from zero dollars to $10 million. The NRA calls the push “unethical” and an “abuse of taxpayer funds.”

by Lois Beckett,

Under the Gun

Why Don’t We Know How Many People Are Shot Each Year in America?

Has nonfatal gun violence increased or decreased over the past 10 years? No one really knows.

by Lois Beckett,

Under the Gun

Meet the Doctor Who Gave $1 Million of His Own Money to Keep His Gun Research Going

Since Congress pressured the CDC to stop funding research on gun violence, Dr. Garen Wintemute has donated more than $1.1 million of his own money to keep his research going.

by Lois Beckett,

Under the Gun

Republicans Say No to CDC Gun Violence Research

Giving the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention money for gun violence research is a “request to fund propaganda,” a Georgia congressman says.

by Lois Beckett,

Under the Gun

Why Hospitals Are Failing Civilians Who Get PTSD

More than 20 percent of civilians with traumatic injuries may develop PTSD. Trauma surgeons explain why many hospitals aren’t doing anything about it.

by Lois Beckett,

Chart: Trauma Hospitals Fail to Screen for Civilian PTSD

A growing body of research shows injured civilians, particularly those injured as a result of violence, are developing PTSD at rates comparable to veterans of war. But many hospitals are doing little to address the problem. We asked 21 top-level trauma centers in cities with the nation's highest murder rates whether they screen injured patients for signs of PTSD.

by Lois Beckett and Brian Jacobs,

Under the Gun

The PTSD Crisis That’s Being Ignored: Americans Wounded in Their Own Neighborhoods

Americans in violent neighborhoods are developing PTSD at rates similar to combat veterans. Why aren’t hospitals screening them? It costs money.

by Lois Beckett,