Wesley Lowery facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Wesley Lowery
Lowery at the 2025 Adelaide Writers' Week
Born	1990 (age 34–35)
Education	Ohio University
Occupation	Journalist
Notable work	"Fatal Force" project; They Can't Kill Us All: Ferguson, Baltimore, and a New Era in America's Racial Justice Movement
Awards	Pulitzer Prize for National Reporting (2016)

Wesley Lowery, born in 1990, is an American journalist. He has worked for several well-known news organizations. These include CBS News and The Washington Post. He was a main reporter for the Post's "Fatal Force" project. This important project won the Pulitzer Prize for National Reporting in 2016. The Pulitzer Prize is a very famous award for journalism.

In 2017, Lowery started working as a political expert for CNN. Later, in 2020, he became a reporter for 60 in 6. This was a shorter version of the famous show 60 Minutes. He also spent time as a fellow at Georgetown University.

Early Life and Education

Wesley Lowery went to Shaker Heights High School. After high school, he studied at Ohio University. While in college, Lowery was the editor-in-chief of the school newspaper, The Post. He also gained experience by interning at several newspapers. These included The Detroit News, The Columbus Dispatch, and The Wall Street Journal.

Journalism Career Highlights

Lowery began his career as a reporting fellow at the Los Angeles Times. He then moved to the Boston Globe in 2013. There, he covered many different stories as a political reporter. He reported on a major sports trial and the Boston mayoral race. He also covered the search for the Boston marathon bombers.

In 2014, the National Association of Black Journalists recognized Lowery. They named him "Emerging Journalist of the Year." This award is given to promising new journalists.

Reporting for The Washington Post

Lowery joined The Washington Post in 2014. In 2015, The Washingtonian magazine called him a "rising star." They praised him as a "terrific reporter." They noted his skill in finding good sources and writing interesting stories. Lowery has also been a judge for the American Mosaic Journalism Prize. He served as a judge for this award from 2018 to 2025.

Covering the Ferguson Protests

In August 2014, Lowery reported on the Ferguson protests for The Post. During this time, he and another reporter were arrested. This happened while they were working in a McDonald's. Many journalism groups and their employers spoke out against these arrests. They said the arrests were wrong. They believed it was an attempt to stop reporters from doing their job. Later, in May 2016, the charges against Lowery and the other reporter were dropped. This happened after they agreed not to sue the county.

The Fatal Force Project

Wesley Lowery was a key part of The Washington Post's "Fatal Force" project. This project created a database to track police shootings. In 2015, it tracked 990 such events. At that time, the government did not have a full record of these incidents. The "Fatal Force" project gathered information from various sources. These included other databases, local news, and social media.

This important project won the Pulitzer Prize for National Reporting in 2016. After the project, the Justice Department started a program. This program aimed to collect better data on how police use force.

His Book: ...

Lowery's first book was published in November 2016. The book is titled ...: Ferguson, Baltimore, and a New Era in America's Racial Justice Movement. It talks about the Black Lives Matter movement. It also connects this movement to American history and Lowery's own experiences.

The book received good reviews. The Seattle Times listed it as a must-read. The Boston Globe said Lowery offered "fresh insights" into covering important national stories about race. The New York Times praised the book for being well-reported and clearly told.

Lowery won the 2017 Christopher Isherwood Prize for Autobiographical Prose for his book. This award is part of the Los Angeles Times Book Prizes. In January 2022, it was announced that AMC would turn the book into a TV series. Lowery is one of the executive producers for this project.

Work at CBS News and Quibi

In 2020, Lowery joined CBS News. He worked on 60 in 6, a shorter version of 60 Minutes. This show was made for Quibi, a mobile video platform.

American University Role

In September 2023, Lowery became a professor at American University's School of Communication. He taught investigative journalism. He also served as the executive editor of the Investigative Reporting Workshop. He resigned from this position in March 2025.