Samantha Sunne

New Orleans

Freelance journalist affiliated with @muckrock, @hackshackers, @propublica, @rtdna and more. See link in bio for my book, "Data + Journalism"

Articles

Data Liberation Project: Liberating public data for the public good

1 month ago | muckrock.com | Michael Morisy |Samantha Sunne |Dillon Bergin |Kelly Kauffman

The Data Liberation Project is an initiative to identify, obtain, reformat, clean, document, publish, and disseminate government datasets of public interest. Wondering how you can contribute? Join the MuckRock Slack and find your way to the #public-data-liberation-project channel to get involved. ★ Featured 1 request 2 articles 2 Articles Public data is disappearingâ€”but anyone can help preserve it.
The definition of on-the-ground reporting

Jul 18, 2024 | toolsforreporters.substack.com | Samantha Sunne

Hi, reporters! Did you know you can buy a mail route? I learned about this during my fellowship at ProPublica, but I’m guessing it’s actually a very old technique. Apparently you can pay the postal service to have a postman hand out a card to everyone on his route. You can even take a look at the routes in your community and narrow down by residential or business - even age or income! Honestly, it was interesting even just seeing the mail routes in an area.
Finding the source of misinformation

Jul 3, 2024 | toolsforreporters.substack.com | Samantha Sunne

Hello, reporters! I have another extra-interesting tool for you today. It’s Rolli again, with a wholly different feature - this time tackling misinformation. If you didn’t see the post last month, Rolli is sponsoring this newsletter as part of a effort to reach as many journalists as possible before the election. This time, we’re talking about their ambitious and fascinating Information Tracer tool. It uses AI to locate social media posts that may be the originators of misinformation.
The Louisiana Town Where a Traffic Stop Can Lead to One Charge After Another

Apr 26, 2024 | propublica.org | Lee Zurik |Samantha Sunne |Dannah Sauer |Joel Jacobs

If you break the law in many small towns in Louisiana, the mayor could be your judge. The arrangement is ripe for conflict of interest. This article was produced for ProPublica’s Local Reporting Network in partnership with WVUE-TV. Sign up for Dispatches to get stories like this one as soon as they are published. The city of Gretna, Louisiana, in the shadow of New Orleans, brings in more money through fines and related fees than some larger cities in the state.
The Louisiana Town Where a Traffic Stop Can Lead to One Charge After Another

Apr 26, 2024 | flipboard.com | Lee Zurik |Samantha Sunne |Dannah Sauer |Joel Jacobs

Sports1 day agoWhat time is the NFL Draft tonight? whodatdish.com - Leigh Oleszczak • 1dThe New Orleans Saints own the 14th pick in the 2024 NFL Draft and what they do with it remains a mystery. The draft is a fun time of year for NFL …Sports10 hours agoMom Of First-Round NFL Draft Pick Going Viral For All-Time Great Interviewathlonsports.com - Alex Ostrow • 10hBrian Thomas Jr. was selected with the No. 23 pick by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the 2024 NFL draft.
Nearly Two Years After Uvalde Massacre, Here Is Where All the Investigations, Personnel Changes Stand

Mar 29, 2024 | propublica.org | Lomi Kriel |Lexi Churchill |Lee Zurik |Samantha Sunne

As America emerged from the pandemic, communities continued to experience a rising tide of gun violence. School shootings and the rate of children and teens killed by gunfire both reached all-time highs since at least 1999. ProPublica’s coverage of gun violence reveals how first responders, policymakers and those directly affected are coping with the bloodshed. ProPublica is a nonprofit newsroom that investigates abuses of power.
Find the location of an image

Mar 27, 2024 | toolsforreporters.substack.com | Samantha Sunne

I have an especially exciting one today, y’all. When I gave it a test run, I literally said “wow” out loud, and trust me, that doesn’t happen often. Geolocation Estimation is a university-developed tool for estimating the location of an image. I opened my photos folder and plopped in a random one - a snapshot from one of New Orleans’ famous cemeteries. I was borderline shocked at the accuracy, and tried a few other snapshots, all with the same level of success.
Severe Complications for Pregnant Veterans Nearly Doubled in the Last Decade, a GAO Report Finds

Feb 23, 2024 | propublica.org | Cassandra Jaramillo |Jeremy Schwartz |Lee Zurik |Samantha Sunne

After the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, ending nearly 50 years of federal protection for abortion, some states began enforcing strict abortion bans while others became new havens for the procedure. ProPublica is investigating how sweeping changes to reproductive health care access in America are affecting people, institutions and governments. ProPublica is a nonprofit newsroom that investigates abuses of power. Sign up to receive our biggest stories as soon as they’re published.
Secret Recording Shows NRA Treasurer Plotting to Conceal Extravagant Expenses Involving Wayne LaPierre

Jan 11, 2024 | propublica.org | Mike Spies |Lee Zurik |Samantha Sunne |Joel Jacobs

ProPublica is a nonprofit newsroom that investigates abuses of power. Sign up to receive our biggest stories as soon as they’re published. This story was published in partnership with The Trace, a nonprofit news organization covering guns in America. At a meeting in June 2009, the treasurer of the National Rifle Association worked out a plan to conceal luxury expenses involving its chief executive, Wayne LaPierre, according to audio of the meeting obtained by The Trace and ProPublica.
Louisiana mayors preside over their town courts despite guidance saying they shouldn’t

Dec 16, 2023 | lailluminator.com | Samantha Sunne |Dannah Sauer |Lee Zurik

If you break the law in many small towns in Louisiana, the mayor could be your judge. The arrangement is ripe for conflict of interest. Amid questions about how he ran his court, the mayor of the tiny village of Fenton, Louisiana, recently decided he would no longer serve as the town judge. He had been recorded saying police officers must write more tickets and now found himself defending his impartiality.