About Ashley Hackett

An investigative reporter based in Washington, D.C.

Ashley Hackett is an award-winning investigative reporter and double graduate of Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism. Her past work has focused on women's issues, the criminal justice system, immigration, the foster care system, and environmental justice.

Hackett's work appears in many outlets, including ProPublica, The Washington Post, The Lily, CNN, MarketWatch, The Better Government Association, and Pacific Standard.

Hackett earned undergraduate and master’s degrees in journalism from Northwestern University. She won Best of Medill Awards for international reporting in Panama, investigative reporting on San Diego Jail's suicide epidemic, and investigative reporting on Chicago's lax enforcement of environmental regulations. She also was a finalist in the Online Feature Reporting category of the 2019 SPJ Mark of Excellence Awards. Hackett won the Medill Student Life Award in 2019. After her work at Injustice Watch, her team's Judicial Voting Guide was nominated for a Driehaus Foundation Award for Investigative Reporting.

When she's not running down leads for a story, Hackett enjoys biking around D.C., walking dogs, cooking up new recipes, spending time with friends and family, and running headlong into political debates. Though Minnesota born-and-raised, she's enjoyed living and reporting in Chicago, Santa Barbara, Spain, and now Washington, D.C. She embraces any opportunity to learn from new people and places.