In 2018, we’re collaborating on an ambitious new international research project that’s assessing the state of open data across a range of issues and themes, culminating in a book that will be introduced at the 5th International Open Government Data Conference in Buenos Aires in the fall of 2018.

Our contribution is going to be a chapter on open data and journalism. It’s a good fit. For over a decade, Sunlight has stood up for the power of open data and journalism to inform the public, hold governments and politicians accountable, and strengthen democracies. And for almost a decade, I’ve tracked the intersection of open data, journalism, open source software and open government, publishing research on the art and science of data journalism that combines those threads.

Now, I’ve scrubbed into the State of Open Data project, seeding the initial network scan on journalists, media and open data. Now, it’s open to your contributions.

As I noted in the draft document, while journalists continue to be appropriately skeptical of open data published by governments online, a growing number of media organizations are downloading, analyzing and reporting on open data from multiple sources in ways that inform, engage and empower the public.

Over the past decade, pioneers in the global transparency movement have adopted and adapted principles and practices from the open source software world, where “showing your work” and collaborating around shared code are important signals for both trust and transparency.

We want to hear about all of the good work that isn’t currently listed, and the challenges that persist for access, creating or using open data as a source and resource for journalists.

We also want to learn about the people, events, organizations, networks and communities that are driving change, social impact and public knowledge, and the places they gather.

Please weigh in on all of the history, events, research, organizations, data-driven journalism projects, and other details I missed in the initial scan – and get involved in the 21 environment scans that are underway. Thank you!