Lisa Armstrong

Lisa Armstrong is an Assistant Professor at the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism, University of California, Berkeley. A renowned investigative journalist, she focuses on criminal justice reform, human rights, and public health in incarcerated populations. Her reporting has appeared in The Intercept, The New Yorker, and Rolling Stone, with extensive coverage of HIV/AIDS in post-earthquake Haiti, systemic injustices in U.S. prisons, and the psychological impacts of solitary confinement. She has produced documentaries such as Little Boy Lost and reported via grants from The Pulitzer Center, NYU, and the Carter Center.

Education & Experience:

• 12 years as Associate Professor at Craig Newmark School of Journalism
• Reported globally: Sierra Leone, Kenya, Philippines, and Haiti (2010–2014)

Research Interests: Armstrong’s work bridges journalism and activism, emphasizing:

• Investigating racial disparities in sentencing
• Documenting health crises in prisons
• Training journalists on ethical reporting of marginalized communities

Awards & Recognition:

• National Press Club’s Joan Friedenberg Award (Online Journalism)
• 2021 Knight-Wallace Reporting Fellowship
• 2019 United States Artists Fellow in Writing

Teaching & Impact: Teaches courses like Berkeley Changemaker: Creating New Models for Journalism and Feature Writing. Her work with The Marshall Project highlighted pandemic-era prison policies, while her documentaries blend art and advocacy to drive systemic change.