Author archives

Sisi Wei is the editor-in-chief at The Markup. Before joining The Markup, she was co-executive director of OpenNews, where she envisioned and executed transformative initiatives for journalism. As part of her work, Sisi founded the DEI Coalition, a journalism community dedicated to sharing knowledge and taking concrete action in service of a more anti-racist, equitable, and just journalism industry. She was assistant managing editor at ProPublica from 2018 to 2020, where she oversaw three editorial teams focused on news apps, interactive storytelling, and visual investigations. She also managed large, interdisciplinary investigations across the newsroom, one of which won the Pulitzer Prize for National Reporting in 2020. Sisi worked at ProPublica for seven years, investigating abuses of power and betrayals of the public trust across a range of topics, including health care, higher education, government, and immigration. In 2021, IWFM awarded Sisi the Gwen Ifill Award, which recognizes an outstanding woman journalist of color whose work carries forward Gwen’s legacy, especially by serving as a role model and mentor for young journalists. In 2019, Sisi and her fellow Journalists of Color Slack admin team won the ONA Community Award, which recognizes a person or small team in online journalism that has made outsized contributions to creating tools or work environments that allow digital journalists to do their best work.

Lie About Your Birthday 🎂

Your birth date, like your phone number (get a burner number), is personal information that scammers can use to steal your identity or target you for fraud. Sisi Wei asks you to think back: How many times have you been asked to verify your date of birth in serious situations, like when recovering your login from your bank, or getting your medical information from your doctor office?

Subjects: Financial System, Healthcare, Privacy, Search Engines, Shopping, Social Media