Pulitzer Center’s Machine Learning Reporting Grants

They’re seeking compelling data-driven storytelling—based on original and transparent data collection and analysis—that has the potential to shape public discourse and hold the powerful accountable.

In this grant they encourage radical transparency and sharing of methodologies and code, including ethics considerations that informed the research and reporting as well as data limitations, so each story produced can serve as a blueprint for other newsrooms pursuing similar projects.

Eligibility Criteria

• This opportunity is open to U.S. residents and journalists around the world.
• They are open to proposals from freelance data journalists, staff journalists, or groups of newsrooms working in collaboration on a data project idea.
• They want to make sure that people from many backgrounds and perspectives are empowered to produce data journalism.
• They strongly encourage proposals from journalists and newsrooms who represent a broad array of social, racial, ethnic, underrepresented groups, and economic backgrounds.

As you prepare your application, here are a few questions for you to think about:

• Why are you using machine learning? Have other approaches been deemed insufficient?
• What data do you plan to use? What biases might this data contain, and how would reporters try to mitigate it? What is the size and complexity of the data you are dealing with?
• What is the machine learning model? Has the model been tested on a smaller-scale dataset? How accurate is the model?
• Can the model be used by others? Can the investigation be replicated with the model?

To apply, you will be asked to provide

• A description of the proposed project (250 words). They look more favorably on proposals that include a thoughtful distribution plan and letter(s) of interest or support from publishers or editors.
• Methodology: Please describe your approach to collecting and analyzing the data, and include your approach for fact-checking or independently verifying the data that will be used in your reporting. Please explain any plans you may have to make the code or the data publicly available after publication of the stories.
• A preliminary budget estimate, including a basic breakdown of costs. Include travel costs, software, satellite/GIS, or hardware costs. Please do not include stipends for journalists/team members who are in the employ of newsrooms or are being paid by a publisher. If you are a journalist collaborating with a data analyst, coder, and/or data visual specialist, you may include consultant fees in your budget.
• Three examples (links) of published work by you (or someone on your project team).
• Three professional references. These can be either contact information or letters of recommendation.
• Applications may also include a more detailed description of the project and reporting plan.

Ineligible

• Books (they can support a story that might become part of a book, as long as the story is published independently in a media outlet)
• Feature-length films (they do support short documentaries with ambitious distribution plans)
• Staff salaries
• Equipment purchases (equipment rentals are considered on a case-by-case basis)
• An outlet’s general expenses (for example rent, utilities, insurance)
• Seed money for start-ups
• Routine breaking news and coverage
• Advocacy/marketing campaigns
• Data projects aimed solely at academic research. Data should be developed to enhance/support journalism.

For more information, visit Pulitzer Center.