Jean Lee is an award-winning journalist based in Los Angeles.

Her work has appeared across NBC News platforms as well as in The Washington Post, PBS NewsHour, The 19th News and USA Today. Her investigative series on the healthcare worker crisis won the New York Press Club’s Nellie Bly Award, and her reporting has also been recognized by the Emmy Awards, Peabody Awards, Edward R. Murrow Awards, National Press Club Awards, National Headliner Awards and Gracie Awards.

She currently works on NBC News National’s social newsgathering desk, where she reports and contributes to visual investigations and uses open-source intelligence, geolocation and other verification techniques to authenticate and advance reporting. She previously worked with NBC News National’s investigative unit, reporting long-form stories and producing for television. Previously, she worked in publishing, primarily on titles about agriculture, environmental sustainability, economic theory, and healthcare. She also wrote literary essays.

Lee received her Master of Science degree from the Columbia Graduate School of Journalism in 2021, where she was one of two graduating students to receive the Tamer Award for Public Service. She later joined The 19th News as a postgraduate reporting fellow, covering gender equity, the criminal justice system, labor and U.S. news. She reported their first investigative story!

Outside of journalism, she is an avid reader who enjoys ceramics, hiking and occasionally cooking elaborate dinners for friends. Navigate to the “Selected Reporting” tab to explore her work.