MuckRock and Sunlight Research Center Uniting to Strengthen Local Investigative Journalism

Together, we’re expanding the tools, training and research that power local accountability reporting.

Journalists across the country will have access to an enhanced suite of tools and services as MuckRock Foundation and Sunlight Research Center join forces to expand local newsrooms’ capacity for high-impact journalism.

By combining MuckRock’s 15 years of leadership in transparency, public records and open data with Sunlight’s innovative approach to newsroom support, the merger will strengthen the foundation of local accountability journalism nationwide. Together, we’re creating a capacity-building engine for local accountability reporting — giving journalists the tools, training and expert support they need to hold power to account.

Brandi Swicegood, Sunlight Research Center's co-founder and executive director, will become MuckRock's first Chief Editorial and Programs Officer, while Anna Massoglia, currently Director of Investigations at Sunlight, will be MuckRock’s Editor.

Sunlight Research Center has built a membership program that brings together training, tools and hands-on support for investigative reporting, focused on building capacity for local newsrooms. Members work closely with Sunlight researchers, who help background people and businesses; follow the money in political campaigns; analyze complex data; and provide deep investigative experience to newsrooms when and how they need it for specific reporting projects. MuckRock and Sunlight first partnered closely in the run-up to the 2024 elections, offering newsroom support through the Knight Election Hub.

Sunlight’s team has helped dozens of newsrooms including the Arizona Luminaria, The Nevada Independent, The Texas Tribune, The Asheville Watchdog and Wisconsin Watch deliver major investigations. Through workshops and hands-on guidance, Sunlight has supported hundreds of other newsrooms covering local and regional issues for their communities.

 Sunlight’s Research Desk will become a core MuckRock Foundation service, helping newsrooms do high-impact work with access to:

• Research Support: Expert help with backgrounding, data analysis, document gathering and more

• FOIA Tools: Resources to seamlessly file, track and publish public records requests through MuckRock Requests

• AI-Driven Analysis: Fast, secure document review and collaboration with DocumentCloud

• Workshops and Training: Practical sessions to strengthen investigative skills

• Community Collaboration: Real-time support from experts and journalists across the U.S.

MuckRock Foundation's own community of journalists — representing almost 5,000 newsrooms — has increasingly sought out support going beyond their foundational FOIA tools and training that have helped thousands of journalists and researchers access critical documents. 

This merger will allow MuckRock and Sunlight to meet every journalist where they are, whether it's a freelance reporter filing their first public records request or a scrappy nonprofit investigative team embarking on a major investigation that requires additional research capacity, tools and guidance.

“Local newsrooms are full of talented, ambitious journalists ready to break important stories. MuckRock and Sunlight give them the tools and capacity to do exactly that,” said Brandi Swicegood, co-founder of Sunlight Research Center, now MuckRock’s Chief Editorial and Programs Officer.

Sunlight’s hands-on support builds and complements the growing suite of tools MuckRock Foundation offers, including MuckRock Requests, the public records tracking tool; DocumentCloud, which has recently launched a range of AI and automation features; and third-party services like Datasette Cloud and Plucky Wire. 

The best way to get the most out of this portfolio is to put these tools to work on real stories, and the Sunlight Research Desk support is the perfect avenue for helping newsrooms pursue impactful work while building their capacity for the long term.

“Sunlight’s unique model has proven that research support can transform what local newsrooms can accomplish, from illuminating education policy to uncovering financial fraud. We’re excited to expand that model nationwide while continuing to build the tools that make government more transparent and accountable to everyone,” said Michael Morisy, CEO and co-founder of MuckRock Foundation.

This merger also creates new opportunities to strengthen democracy by investing in shared investigative infrastructure for local newsrooms — from memberships to collaborative research initiatives.

We’re excited to partner with you to bring more high-impact journalism to your community! Click here to get membership details and sign up now. 

Interested in sponsoring investigative infrastructure for local news? Reach out to marcia@muckrock.com today to learn more about how you can help strengthen local journalism.