Right now, work at Stanford and the broader Silicon Valley is changing the way stories are discovered, told, and transmitted. We are part of that transformation, empowering students to produce work that is multimedia, data-intensive, entrepreneurial, and influenced by design thinking.
Be a part of this innovation. Read a message from Director James T. Hamilton >
Data-driven curriculum for the journalist of tomorrow
We never forget that storytelling and shoe-leather reporting are at the core of journalism. But we’re also on the cutting edge, training students to have the tech know-how for discovering stories using data skills.
In addition to our full lineup of specialized reporting, entrepreneurship and multimedia courses, we’ve recently launched data-focused reporting classes.
Public Affairs Data Journalism I
Even before the ubiquity of Internet access and high-powered computers, public accountability reporting relied on the concerted collection of observations and analytical problem-solving. We study the methods, and the data, used to discover leads and conduct in-depth reporting on public affairs, including election finance and safety regulations. Students gain practical experience with the digital tools and techniques of computer-assisted reporting.Public Affairs Data Journalism II
Learn how to find, create and analyze data to tell news stories with public service impact. Uses relational databases, advanced queries, basic statistics, and mapping to analyze data for storytelling. Assignments may include stories, blog posts, and data visualizations, with at least one in-depth project based on data analysis.Computational Methods in the Civic Sphere
The widespread availability of public data provides a rich opportunity for those who can efficiently filter, interpret, and visualize information. Course develops necessary technical skills for data collection, analysis, and publication, including data mining and web visualization, with a focus on civic affairs and government accountability. Open to all majors and a range of technical skill levels. Involves tackling new tools and technical concepts in the pursuit of engaging, public-facing projects.Computational Journalism
Focuses on using data and algorithms to lower the cost of discovering stories or telling stories in more engaging and personalized ways. Project based assignments based on real-world challenges faced in newsrooms. Prior experience in journalism or computational thinking helpful.Becoming a Watchdog
Learn how to apply an investigative and data mindset to journalism, from understanding how to background an individual or entity using online databases to compiling or combining disparate sets of information in ways that unveil wrongdoing or mismanagement. Focuses on mining texts, tracking associations, and using visualizations. Stories produced apply investigative techniques to beat reporting, breaking news, and long form journalism.Why Stanford?
We’re in the center of innovation and technology in Silicon Valley.
Faculty with newsroom and academic expertise
Our faculty bring a combination of industry expertise and academic accomplishment to the classroom, from The Washington Post, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Seattle Times, the San Jose Mercury News, Bloomberg News and ProPublica.
Our Partners
Applications for 2015-2016 admission are now closed.
Applications for 2016-2017 admission will open in September 2015. Sign up for updates: