Sunlight Research Desk and MuckRock are joining forces to expand the tools, training and research support that help local newsrooms deliver high-impact reporting. Read more here.
Community Workshops
Register now for our monthly hands-on workshops to grow your reporting skillset with the latest techniques and tools for investigative research. ​
Learn about Datasette
Friday, Apr. 17, 1 to 2 p.m. ET
Join Alex Garcia from Datasette for an introduction to Datasette Cloud, a hosted service that lets your team upload, share and analyze tabular data through an interactive web app and API. We'll cover the basics on how to get started with Datasette Cloud by logging in with your MuckRock Account and how to hit the ground running with importing your own data. We'll also introduce a DocumentCloud Add-On that allows you to pipe tables extracted from documents on DocumentCloud directly into your Datasette Cloud and highlight some case studies on users who have built powerful informative tools using Datasette.
​​​​​(Enroll by Friday, Apr. 17, 10 a.m ET)
AI: Threats and Opportunities
Friday, May 1, 1 to 2 p.m. ET
FOIAFriday is a community session to connect about all things FOIA and public records.
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Join us for our next session AI: Threats and opportunities
The session will be a look at how artificial intelligence is being applied by FOIA requesters and agencies to improve the process, and the unintended consequences of the implementation of AI.
​​​​​(Enroll by Friday, May 1, 10 a.m ET)
Inside NotebookLM with Jeremy Caplan
Wednesday, Apr. 29, 1 to 2 p.m. ET
Learn how to use NotebookLM to analyze sources, generate insights, and streamline your research workflow.
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NotebookLM is changing how journalists and researchers work with information. This session introduces what the tool can do, why it matters, and how it can help you move from raw documents to meaningful insight more quickly and effectively.
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This session is a guided walkthrough designed to share practical examples, strategies, and ideas you can apply immediately, with time at the end for questions and discussion.
​​​​​(Enroll by Wednesday, Apr. 29, 11 a.m ET)
Enhancing public records work with LLMs
Friday, May 15, 1 to 2 p.m. ET
Miss this session at NICAR 2026? Join this session of Building with MuckRock!
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Explore the Python libraries for the MuckRock Requests and DocumentCloud APIs and how they can be used with large language models (LLMs) to streamline records requests assist in analyzing responsive documents.
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Participants will also be introduced to llm-documentcloud, a plugin for LLM command-line tool/Python library that enables feeding documents for analysis in various LLMs for analysis. The session will cover strategies for crafting clearer, more effective public records requests, as well as techniques for summarizing, organizing, and extracting data and insights from responsive documents. Attendees are encouraged to bring their own projects, ideas, and questions for exploration.
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This session is good for those with some Python experience.
​​​​​(Enroll by Friday, May 15, 10 a.m ET)
Keeping ChatGPT from eating your lunch
Using AI with Intention
Wednesday, May 20, 1 to 2 p.m. ET
In this session, Andrea Ball, an Investigative Reporter from the Houston Chronicle, explores the flaws in AI tools, what happens when you push them further, where they break, and how to revise your approach to use them more effectively. Tools like ChatGPT are already part of many journalists’ daily workflows, but understanding how they behave is key to using them responsibly and accurately.
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Why it matters: AI often speaks with confidence and authority, even when it’s wrong. This session explores how that can mislead journalists and researchers, and why recognizing these patterns is essential to maintaining accuracy, credibility, and control.
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How it behaves: AI has quirks, flaws, and defaults that can shape every response. You’ll learn how to spot when it’s going off track, understand why it produces certain outputs, and avoid common pitfalls without abandoning the tool altogether.
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Using it responsibly: We’ll cover some practical guidelines for working with AI in journalism: generating leads, supporting research, and reviewing suggested edits without directly inserting them into copy. Emphasis is placed on transparency, sourcing, and maintaining editorial judgment.
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Making it useful: Rather than fighting AI’s limitations or abandoning it altogether, this session focuses on working with them, learning how to steer the tool, improve accuracy, and use it as a thinking partner while staying firmly in charge.
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This session is not about building AI tools or coding. It’s about using them thoughtfully and sustainably in real reporting workflows, with practical strategies you can apply right away.
​​​​​(Enroll by Wednesday, May 20, 11 a.m ET)
Office Hours:
A space for investigators to learn and connect
Office Hours is an open, supportive space where journalists can ask questions about investigative research and get expert insights.
We host Office Hours one Wednesday a month, free of charge, and open to all. Whether you’re looking for guidance on a specific investigation or just want to listen and learn from others, you’re welcome here.
Drop in and join the conversation!​
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Our Impact
We're supporting newsrooms around the world.
Access all our previous trainings
Learn with research and FOIA experts across various topics.
We are always adding new videos to our YouTube channel as we work to support making politics more transparent and democracy more informed.
What journalists are saying about Sunlight Research Desk
The training provided in collaboration with MuckRock and through this reporting process has given me the confidence to dig deeper into financial data to better inform our readers about the money behind the issues in their communities.
The Riverside Record
I always walk away having learned something new and valuable for my work. The instructors are deeply knowledgeable and helpful, and they make learning investigative research skills an approachable and empowering experience.
Investigative Journalist and News Researcher
I attended SRC's Investigative Mindset and the Art of Digging workshop, and appreciated the opportunity to hear two investigative journalists talk through their own strategies. I stuck around for Sunlight's office hours and was grateful for the opportunity to have experienced investigative reporters weigh in on my questions. I'm so glad this resource exists!
Freelance Reporter