“Having the tools to access and analyse this data is now critical for effective reporting,” says Megan Lucero, Director of The Bureau Local. “There are many powerful public interest stories out there that will only be discovered if traditional investigative techniques are combined with technology.”

Established in 2017 with support from the DNI Fund, the Bureau Local consists of four skilled and experienced data journalists. This team does the heavy lifting, opening up the datasets of public bodies and helping The Bureau network to navigate and interrogate it – to inform the public on the state of their communities and to unveil systemic wrong when it exists. Even if a journalist has never looked at a dataset or knows nothing about Excel, the Bureau team can show them how to dig into the data, collaborate with the local community and scrutinise the actions of those in power, such as the local council.

“After our first year, the Bureau community already extends to over 650 people across the UK,” Megan explains. “They come from all walks of life. As well as journalists, they’re lawyers and teachers, mums and grandparents – a cross-section of people who’ve been affected by particular issues. We’ve helped this network publish over 170 exclusive local stories – covering everything from identifying the county councils close to financial ruin, to exposing the huge disparities in how local police forces protect women from violent partners.”

“The Bureau is a constant work in progress and we’ve received lots of interest from other countries as well as from regional groups within the UK, who are all excited by the possibilities of data journalism. We’ve proved our point – that collaborative journalism can hold power to account. The news industry may be in flux, but it’s vitally important that good local journalism doesn’t disappear. And the people in power had better recognise that.”