Campaign Finance Data Training: Sign up Now!

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In partnership with the Open Raleigh Brigade of Code for America and the NC Local News Workshop, the North Carolina Open Government Coalition will host a free training event to help journalists and interested citizens access and tell stories from campaign finance data.

The virtual training, scheduled for June 15, 2021, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., offers a first, exclusive look at the Open Raleigh Brigade’s innovative new tool that makes accessing and interpreting campaign finance data easier and more intuitive. [Register for free here].

In this two-hour training with UNC journalism professor Ryan Thornburg, you’ll come away with story ideas about the last election and a firm grasp of how to use the tool to understand elections and how campaigns are financed for upcoming state and municipal elections.

Prior data experience is not necessary.

The campaign finance data tool has already helped peel back the curtain on political spending. During the run-up to the 2020 election and in the months since, the Open Raleigh Brigade partnered with Code for Democracy and Sludge to better understand how campaign contributions flowed through the network of political action committees (PACs), coordinating funds, and candidates during the 2020 election cycle.

The impact and story of the 2020 elections isn’t fully known. Statewide elections and a closely-watched Senate race are just around the corner in North Carolina, setting the stage for an influx of spending. We hope this training will spur collaboration and innovation, which are key to telling accurate and comprehensive stories about money in politics.