The Data-Driven Reporting Project

"Today much of investigative journalism is about acquiring, organizing and analyzing large, digital document sets. Technology plays a critical role in all phases but those resources are unevenly distributed. Only a few news organizations are able to take advantage of these advances. Many local news organizations and freelance journalists, especially those who serve local and underrepresented communities, would benefit from additional resources. This program aims to close this gap with targeted, financial awards to organizations and freelancers working on document-focused, investigative stories." Deadline: March 31, 2026. Recipients receive:

• Grants of up to $35,000 for document-based investigative projects that serve local and/or underrepresented communities in the US and Canada.
• Training and support from Medill on Google Journalist Studio tools, and more.

Google News Initiative and Northwestern University | Medill