As Data Editor at MapLight, I have been using our campaign finance tools and database to work with reporters to produce front-page stories for The New York Times, BuzzFeed, KQED, and other publications as well as politics stories for publications such as San Francisco Chronicle and the Los Angeles Times.
I also edit the MapLight blog as well as fact-check any data being released to reporters and the general public.
At MapLight, I have written the following money in politics stories:
Labor and Business Square Off in CA Special Senate Election
Defense Contractors Dominate List of Top 10 PAC Contributors in 2015
Los Angeles and Silicon Valley Among Top Zip Codes Contributing to Federal Candidates
What's the Cost of a Seat in the California State Legislature?
At MapLight, I first worked on developing tools and processes to aid in the cleaning up and publishing of campaign finance data. I translated the tools and scrapers I coded in PHP, MySQL, and Javascript into a crowdsourcing microtasker and social network called Project ORCA.
ORCA allowed the employees and volunteers of MapLight to process millions of records of campaign finance data and candidate information collaboratively in a way that ensured 100% fidelity and efficiency. The resulting data was then published on VotersEdge.org.