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Medill announces recipients of inaugural Data-Driven Reporting Project funds

Funded by the Google News Initiative, 22 news organizations to receive support

Graphic with newspaper, Google News Initiative logo and Northwestern Medill logo.
Twenty-two news organizations will receive funds as part of the school’s Data-Driven Reporting Project.

EVANSTON, ILL. -- Today the Northwestern University Medill School of Journalism, Media, Integrated Communications announced that 22 news organizations will receive funds as part of the school’s Data-Driven Reporting Project.

The Data-Driven Reporting Project, a partnership between Medill and the Google News Initiative, will award more than $930,000 to new document- or data-driven projects. Nineteen of the awards will go to U.S.-based organizations and three to Canadian projects. 

The Data-Driven Reporting Project is funded by the Google News Initiative in partnership with Medill. It awards funds to investigative journalists working for local news outlets and outlets serving underrepresented communities across the U.S. and Canada.

“Medill is deeply committed to both advancing local news organizations and supporting the critical investigative journalism that supports democracy,” said Medill Dean Charles Whitaker. “We believe these funds, awarded to outlets that don’t always have access to the resources they need for document and data related investigations, will help achieve both of these aims.”

The awardees for the funds were selected by a panel of eight jurors through three rounds of evaluation. Medill will provide specialized training, expertise and resources to the award recipients. Google played no role in the selection of jurors or individual projects. Applications for a second round will open later this year.

“With our support, these journalists will be able to do the types of investigative work that can bring about meaningful change in their communities,” said Jeremy Gilbert, Medill professor and Knight Chair in Digital Media Strategy. “We are excited to welcome this first group of awardees and look forward to supporting them.”

The 2022 recipients include:

  • Albany Times Union
  • Black Voice News
  • Carolina Public Press
  • The Charlotte Observer, The News & Observer
  • The Daily Herald
  • Eye on Ohio, the Ohio Center for Journalism
  • Investigative Journalism Bureau
  • InvestigateWest
  • Invisible Institute
  • The Local
  • LSU Manship School News Service
  • Monquartier
  • Mountain Express
  • MuckRock
  • The Post and Courier
  • The Real News Network
  • The Salt Lake Tribune
  • Underscore
  • Voice of San Diego
  • WABE
  • Wisconsin Watch
  • WyoFile