Chris Hacker

I'm a computational journalist on the data team at The Washington Post, based in Washington, DC. I use computer-assisted reporting techniques to produce unique coverage of important issues, and build tools to help the newsroom track data and monitor trends.

Reporting and analysis

Shot by a civilian wielding a police gunThis multi-year investigation uncovered a hidden economy where used police guns are sold to members of the public. Majority-Black school districts have far less money to invest in buildingsI analyzed federal data to show that majority-Black districts receive half the per-pupil building investment and only a fraction of state capital funding compared with mostly White districtsWage theft often goes unpunished despite state systems meant to combat itAn investigation into failings at state labor departments to recover back pay on behalf of wage theft victims. A "coin flip": Nearly half of U.S. murders go unsolvedI decoded and analyzed FBI homicide data to reveal that nearly half of U.S. murders go unsolved and that clearance rates are even worse for Black and Hispanic victims.Hundreds of elementary students arrested at U.S. schools each year I analyzed federal school-discipline data to expose that hundreds of elementary-age children are arrested each year — and that the burden falls heaviest on Black students and those with disabilities.

Tools and infrastructure

This websiteI built this portfolio website myself using open-source tools and GitHub Pagesenforce-notebook-run-orderA Python-based pre-commit hook to force Jupyter notebooks to be run in the correct orderstratusloggerA Chrome extension that added integrated transcription features into the web UI for the Stratus content management system.

Experience

Computational JournalistThe Washington Post · Washington, DCNov 2025 – Present
Investigative Data JournalistCBS NewsApr 2022 – Oct 2025
WBBM | CBS ChicagoChicago, ILJan 2019 – Apr 2022
Data JournalistAug 2019 – Apr 2022
Desk AssistantJan 2019 – Aug 2019
Breaking News ReporterDaily Herald Media GroupDec 2017 – Sep 2018

Contact

Washington Post bylineadd linkGitHubcmhacLinkedInadd linkBlueskyadd link