Lee Rainie is the Director of Internet and Technology research at the Pew Research Center, a non-profit, non-partisan "fact tank." His project was described by the American Sociological Association as the “most authoritative source of reliable data on the use and impact of the internet and mobile connectivity” and the ASA awarded him its award for “excellence in the reporting on social issues award.” 

The project has issued more than 800 reports based on its surveys that examine people’s online activities and the impact of mobile connectivity and social media on their lives.

Lee is a co-author of Networking: The New Social Operating System, a book about the social impact of the internet and mobile technology. He is also co-author of five books about the future of the internet, which are based on Center surveys. 

Prior to launching the Pew Internet Project, Lee was managing editor of the newsweekly magazine U.S. News & World Report. He is a graduate of Harvard University and has a master's degree in political science from Long Island University.