About

It’s too hard for local journalists to access public records about policing, public health, government, and other vital topics.

From its base at Stanford University, Big Local News tries to solve the problem by gathering data, building tools and collaborating with reporters.

The biglocalnews.org site also offers a free archiving service for journalists to store, share, and publish data. Selected projects are preserved by the Stanford Digital Repository. An Industrial Affiliates program provides expanded opportunities to engage with the program and support its mission.

Leadership

Cheryl Phillips

Founder and Co-director, Hearst Professional in Residence

Serdar Tumgoren

Co-director, Lorry I. Lokey Visiting Professor

Staff

Justin Mayo

Senior Data Journalist

Irene Casado Sánchez

Data Journalist

Eric Sagara

Senior Data Journalist

Sarah Cohen

Senior Data Journalist

Gerald Rich

Software Developer/Engineer

Kim Bui

Project Manager

Supporting Faculty

Maneesh Agrawala

Forest Basket Professor of Computer Science, Brown Institute for Media Innovation Director

R.B. Brenner

Lecturer and Managing Director, Stanford Journalism and Democracy Initiative

Sharad Goel

Professor of Public Policy, Harvard Kennedy School

James Hamilton

Hearst Professor of Communication, Department of Communication Chair

Collaborators

Support our work

Big Local News is funded through grants and donations. Please help support the project by making a donation at makeagift.stanford.edu. In the form, select School of Humanities and Social Science and specify Dept. of Communication, Big Local News project.