Lee Rainie
Pew Internet & American Life Project
Lee Rainie is the Director of the Pew Internet & American Life Project, a non-profit, non-partisan "fact tank" that studies the social impact of the internet. Since December 1999, the Washington D.C. research center has examined how people's internet use affects their families, communities, health care, education, civic and political life, and work places.
The Project has issued more than 250 reports based on its surveys that examine people's online activities and the Internet's role in their lives. All of its reports and datasets are available online for free at: www.pewinternet.org.
Lee is co-author of Up For Grabs, Hopes and Fears, Ubiquity, Mobility, Security, and Challenges and Opportunities. All are based on Project surveys about the future of the internet. He is also writing a book entitled Networking: The New Social Operating System with sociologist Barry Wellman about the social impact of the internet and cell phones for MIT Press.
Prior to launching the Pew Internet Project, Lee was managing editor of U.S. News & World Report. He is a graduate of Harvard College and has a master's degree in political science from Long Island University.
Appearances
- State of the Net Conference 2011, January 18, 2011
- State of the Net Conference 2007
- State of the Net Conference 2006
- Speaker Series 2005: Brad Smith
- State of the Net Conference 2005
Biography last updated December 20, 2010





