Photo by Leah Millis
Marissa Lang is an award-winning journalist who has spent her career covering issues of criminal and social justice, protest movements and the rise of extremism, natural disasters, human rights and more.
The first time she chased a public official down a hallway, she was 10 years old.
Staff writer | 2018 – NOW
In her current role at The Washington Post, Marissa writes about gentrification, housing and the changing face of American cities as part of The Washington Post's social issues team. At The Post, she previously covered protests, social unrest, activist movements and the rise of domestic extremism in the nation’s capital, nationally and abroad.
Uncovered how the national eviction moratorium was dead well before it was overturned by the Supreme Court.
Wrote a series of stories detailing threats and warnings that foreshadowed the violence of Jan. 6, and produced nuanced stories of the riot and its participants in the immediate aftermath.
Broke news on federal plans to obtain a heat-ray device for D.C. protests.
Unearthed federal plans to charge demonstrators for the cost of police at protests. Coverage led to plan’s ultimate defeat.
TECH AND CULTURE REPORTER | 2015 – 2018
In her time at the Chronicle, Marissa covered stories that live at the intersection of tech and culture, with a focus on disparities within the tech industry, cybersecurity and how tech companies — and the technology they create — have reshaped the Bay Area.
Local authority on tech industry's struggle with diversity, fake news and the social implications of new innovations.
Wrote several international stories from Kigali, Rwanda, as a fellow with the International Women's Media Foundation's African Great Lakes Reporting Initiative.
Won top honors from the California Newspaper Publisher Association for a 6-month deep-dive into the plight of farmworkers during the worst drought in state history.
METRO REPORTER | 2014 – 2015
Marissa led consistent probes into the mayor's office, its use of money and pursuit of power among other city issues, including police use of force, California's antiquated lynching law and plans to implement body cameras in police departments across Northern California during her time as a Metro reporter for the Sacramento Bee.
Covered the consequences of gang violence in rural, largely Latino communities around Sacramento.
Exposed mayoral bid to surreptitiously increase staff by 70 percent through creative uses of the city budget.
Unveiled allegations of sexual harassment by members of the city government.
justice reporter | 2012 – 2015
As a justice reporter at the Salt Lake Tribune, Marissa quickly became the local and national authority on Utah's same-sex marriage case — the first in the nation to use the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling on the Defense of Marriage Act to overturn a local same-sex marriage ban — and led coverage on courts, prisons, death row and the state's justice system. Marissa became the youngest member of the Tribune's investigative team when she was tapped to assist in an investigation into questionable and unethical dealings of two former state attorneys general.
Nominated for Pulitzer Prize for team investigation and in-depth coverage of attorney-general scandal.
Exposed the state's checkered public defense system that led to Fourth Amendment inquiries.
Breaking news reporter | 2011 – 2012
In the newsroom at 5 a.m. every day covering breaking news for the Tampa Bay Times (formerly known as the St. Petersburg Times), Marissa wrote a wide range of stories including those on poverty, weather events, crime, politics and a variety of human interest pieces. Marissa was the lead hurricane reporter and covered the burgeoning Occupy Wall Street movement in the Tampa Bay area.
Led national coverage of hurricane bearing down on the GOP convention in Tampa.