Ryan Pitts
@ryanpitts.bsky.social
Journalist, coder, community developer. Managing director, Big Local News at Stanford.
“I love people who harness themselves, an ox to a heavy cart,
… who strain in the mud and the muck to move things forward,
who do what has to be done, again and again.”
“I love people who harness themselves, an ox to a heavy cart,
… who strain in the mud and the muck to move things forward,
who do what has to be done, again and again.”
"The work that client firms are settling for is not better when it’s produced by AI, but it’s cheaper, and deemed 'good enough.'"
www.bloodinthemachine.com/p/i-was-forc...
www.bloodinthemachine.com/p/i-was-forc...
"I was forced to use AI until the day I was laid off." Copywriters reveal how AI has decimated their industry
Copywriters were one of the first to have their jobs targeted by AI firms. These are their stories, three years into the AI era.
www.bloodinthemachine.com
December 12, 2025 at 7:43 PM
"The work that client firms are settling for is not better when it’s produced by AI, but it’s cheaper, and deemed 'good enough.'"
www.bloodinthemachine.com/p/i-was-forc...
www.bloodinthemachine.com/p/i-was-forc...
Earlier this year I got to drive two great friends to their citizenship ceremony, and a whole group of us celebrated with them after. It was so joyful! They’re from one of the countries on this list. Relieved and grateful we got to be there with them then, and just sickened to read this now.
“She showed up as scheduled, and when she arrived, officers were asking everyone what country they were from, and if they said a certain country, they were told to step out of line and that their oath ceremonies were canceled.”
www.wgbh.org/news/local/2... @gbhnews.bsky.social
www.wgbh.org/news/local/2... @gbhnews.bsky.social
Immigrants kept from Faneuil Hall citizenship ceremony as feds crackdown nationwide
Trump administration is pausing naturalizations for immigrants from 19 countries.
www.wgbh.org
December 6, 2025 at 5:04 AM
Earlier this year I got to drive two great friends to their citizenship ceremony, and a whole group of us celebrated with them after. It was so joyful! They’re from one of the countries on this list. Relieved and grateful we got to be there with them then, and just sickened to read this now.
Reposted by Ryan Pitts
The problem with computer jobs is that it's all in your head. You can't touch or eat the code you write, it's too abstract. You need to find something to make with your hands if you want to stay okay
October 13, 2025 at 6:59 AM
The problem with computer jobs is that it's all in your head. You can't touch or eat the code you write, it's too abstract. You need to find something to make with your hands if you want to stay okay
Reposted by Ryan Pitts
If you know me, you know I donated a ton of time and energy to building this org from 2023-2024. I’m grateful that led to hiring full-time staff in 2025. I hope we can keep building.
Will you help?
bit.ly/tja_pride
Will you help?
bit.ly/tja_pride
The Trans Journalists Association is building a future of journalism where stories about trans people are just, ethical, and informed by our leadership.
This #GivingTuesday, we’re asking you to support our movement: bit.ly/tja_pride. 🧵
This #GivingTuesday, we’re asking you to support our movement: bit.ly/tja_pride. 🧵
December 2, 2025 at 8:48 PM
If you know me, you know I donated a ton of time and energy to building this org from 2023-2024. I’m grateful that led to hiring full-time staff in 2025. I hope we can keep building.
Will you help?
bit.ly/tja_pride
Will you help?
bit.ly/tja_pride
Reposted by Ryan Pitts
This Giving Tuesday, considering tossing some cash to OpenNews, the journalism org I founded in 2011. OpenNews has evolved a lot since back in the day, with new & amazing leaders, but remains a crucial connector among people doing vital work in newsrooms. opennews.networkforgood.com
December 2, 2025 at 2:55 PM
This Giving Tuesday, considering tossing some cash to OpenNews, the journalism org I founded in 2011. OpenNews has evolved a lot since back in the day, with new & amazing leaders, but remains a crucial connector among people doing vital work in newsrooms. opennews.networkforgood.com
Reposted by Ryan Pitts
In October, statewide news reported that a sheriff's deputy in Texas searched thousands of Flock cameras in Washington for 'Had an abortion, search for female.’ New documents obtained by RANGE show Spokane County Sheriff's Office cameras were accessed in that search:
Texas deputy searched Spokane County Flock cameras for a woman who had an abortion– RANGE Media
Amidst nationwide and state scrutiny of the cameras, Spokane County’s Flock network was used by an out-of-state cop looking for a woman who had an abortion.
rangemedia.co
November 26, 2025 at 2:09 AM
In October, statewide news reported that a sheriff's deputy in Texas searched thousands of Flock cameras in Washington for 'Had an abortion, search for female.’ New documents obtained by RANGE show Spokane County Sheriff's Office cameras were accessed in that search:
cool economy we’ve got, can’t stop spending wages on personal devices or else productivity gains will stop rolling up to owners and investors
stupid young people, stop buying a new phone every year if you don't want to be broke. wait no, not like that.
November 25, 2025 at 7:17 PM
cool economy we’ve got, can’t stop spending wages on personal devices or else productivity gains will stop rolling up to owners and investors
Tetris mode! Featuring StateFace! Elegant tools from a different age source.opennews.org/articles/how...
(So cool that Election Night Replay from 2012 still works election2012.npr.org and I totally forgot about the Big Boards, designed for second screen first election2012.npr.org/bigboard/pre...)
(So cool that Election Night Replay from 2012 still works election2012.npr.org and I totally forgot about the Big Boards, designed for second screen first election2012.npr.org/bigboard/pre...)
November 6, 2025 at 1:38 AM
Tetris mode! Featuring StateFace! Elegant tools from a different age source.opennews.org/articles/how...
(So cool that Election Night Replay from 2012 still works election2012.npr.org and I totally forgot about the Big Boards, designed for second screen first election2012.npr.org/bigboard/pre...)
(So cool that Election Night Replay from 2012 still works election2012.npr.org and I totally forgot about the Big Boards, designed for second screen first election2012.npr.org/bigboard/pre...)
"The impulse to view everything in terms of efficiency, of reducing costs and maximizing output, is radically overapplied in the modern world."
lareviewofbooks.org/article/life...
lareviewofbooks.org/article/life...
Life Is More Than an Engineering Problem | Los Angeles Review of Books
Julien Crockett speaks with Ted Chiang about the search for a perfect language, the state of AI, and the future direction of technology.
lareviewofbooks.org
October 10, 2025 at 6:42 PM
"The impulse to view everything in terms of efficiency, of reducing costs and maximizing output, is radically overapplied in the modern world."
lareviewofbooks.org/article/life...
lareviewofbooks.org/article/life...
Reposted by Ryan Pitts
Read this thread from a great Portland reporter! The New York Times running this story today is absolutely calculated. It has been positioning Portland for years as a progressive villain. Also: why send a reporter from the Bay when the NYT has at least two reporters who actually live in Portland.
This article has a lot more important problems so I feel stupid saying this…but umm…the Mercury wrote and published the first major article about the DSA councilors back in June. Of course it isn’t the local reporting linked or mentioned here.
What Happens When Socialists Are in Charge? Portland Offers a Glimpse.
www.nytimes.com
October 4, 2025 at 3:52 PM
Read this thread from a great Portland reporter! The New York Times running this story today is absolutely calculated. It has been positioning Portland for years as a progressive villain. Also: why send a reporter from the Bay when the NYT has at least two reporters who actually live in Portland.
Reposted by Ryan Pitts
Today is International Democracy Day. City Bureau’s Documenters program puts regular folks right into local public meetings where it happens. We have a generous match going on this week so if you’ve got the means, consider a donation and see it doubled!
mailchi.mp/citybureau.o...
mailchi.mp/citybureau.o...
September 16, 2025 at 2:35 AM
Today is International Democracy Day. City Bureau’s Documenters program puts regular folks right into local public meetings where it happens. We have a generous match going on this week so if you’ve got the means, consider a donation and see it doubled!
mailchi.mp/citybureau.o...
mailchi.mp/citybureau.o...
Reposted by Ryan Pitts
FYI for @censusreporter.org users, we're planning on skipping the data load for ACS 1-year because there's some changes that would make it confusing to have the newer 1-year and older 5-year in the same display. Stay tuned for the 5-year release in December!
September 14, 2025 at 5:32 AM
FYI for @censusreporter.org users, we're planning on skipping the data load for ACS 1-year because there's some changes that would make it confusing to have the newer 1-year and older 5-year in the same display. Stay tuned for the 5-year release in December!
@tylerjfisher.com waiting for your review of the new deftones
September 3, 2025 at 3:56 PM
@tylerjfisher.com waiting for your review of the new deftones
This is such a great moment to be joining the team at @biglocalnews.bsky.social! We have so much important work ahead and I’m thrilled to be a part of it. biglocalnews.org/content/news...
Ryan Pitts joins Big Local News as managing director
Data, tools and collaborations that empower journalists to better cover their community. A project at Stanford University.
biglocalnews.org
August 12, 2025 at 3:32 AM
This is such a great moment to be joining the team at @biglocalnews.bsky.social! We have so much important work ahead and I’m thrilled to be a part of it. biglocalnews.org/content/news...
Reposted by Ryan Pitts
Hello, Bluesky! This account automatically posts updates when the Census Bureau APIs add or remove datasets.
See the full tracker at www.hrecht.com/census-api-d...
See the full tracker at www.hrecht.com/census-api-d...
Tracking Census Dataset Changes
See when the U.S. Census Bureau adds or removes datasets.
www.hrecht.com
August 11, 2025 at 2:59 PM
Hello, Bluesky! This account automatically posts updates when the Census Bureau APIs add or remove datasets.
See the full tracker at www.hrecht.com/census-api-d...
See the full tracker at www.hrecht.com/census-api-d...
proud to be a board member for @rangemedia.co because (among so many other reasons) I know they'll never ever publish something that looks like this
Support local news, everyone.
Support local news, everyone.
August 5, 2025 at 8:59 PM
proud to be a board member for @rangemedia.co because (among so many other reasons) I know they'll never ever publish something that looks like this
Support local news, everyone.
Support local news, everyone.
Reposted by Ryan Pitts
Hey! I helped make this and you should check this out. Interested in expanding this to your state? Reach out to @biglocalnews.bsky.social
We’ve launched a database with about 1.5 million pages of once-secret records detailing when law enforcement officers in California seriously injured someone or an agency found an officer violated policy with @kqednews.kqed.org, @sfchronicle.com @latimes.com @calmatters.org 1/
CLEAN - KQED News
Search California public records about law enforcement violence and misconduct.
policerecords.kqed.org
August 5, 2025 at 3:08 AM
Hey! I helped make this and you should check this out. Interested in expanding this to your state? Reach out to @biglocalnews.bsky.social
@wmhartnett.bsky.social unexpected Gerard Manley Hopkins shoutout djunah.bandcamp.com/album/femina...
Femina Furens, by Djunah
10 track album
djunah.bandcamp.com
August 5, 2025 at 4:50 PM
@wmhartnett.bsky.social unexpected Gerard Manley Hopkins shoutout djunah.bandcamp.com/album/femina...
Reposted by Ryan Pitts
I am seeking a volunteer to help organize some things for @interruptcrim.bsky.social's journalism fellowship (me!) during the coming 1-2 weeks. Should be a few hours of pretty fun computer work requiring a bit of spreadsheet know-how. Anyone interested?
July 22, 2025 at 3:40 PM
I am seeking a volunteer to help organize some things for @interruptcrim.bsky.social's journalism fellowship (me!) during the coming 1-2 weeks. Should be a few hours of pretty fun computer work requiring a bit of spreadsheet know-how. Anyone interested?
Reposted by Ryan Pitts
🔎 We launched Investigate This! for journalists who want to use our datasets and reporting to craft original criminal justice stories in their own communities.
Check out our free story toolkits with resources:
Check out our free story toolkits with resources:
Investigate This! | The Marshall Project
Criminal justice datasets and reporting resources from The Marshall Project
www.themarshallproject.org
July 16, 2025 at 10:36 PM
🔎 We launched Investigate This! for journalists who want to use our datasets and reporting to craft original criminal justice stories in their own communities.
Check out our free story toolkits with resources:
Check out our free story toolkits with resources:
Reposted by Ryan Pitts
things are getting dicey here in spokane. please pay attention.
Spokane activists were arrested by federal agents in connection to ICE protests on June 11, including Justice Forral, Erin Lang and former city council president Ben Stuckart, who were previously arrested on June 11. Organizer Jac Archer, who was not arrested June 11, was also arrested this morning.
Spokane activists arrested by federal agents in connection to ICE protests – RANGE Media
The arrestees include Justice Forral, Erin Lang and former city council president Ben Stuckart, who were all arrested immediately after the June 11 protests. Organizer Jac Archer, who was not arrested...
rangemedia.co
July 15, 2025 at 5:17 PM
things are getting dicey here in spokane. please pay attention.
Reposted by Ryan Pitts
“the only AI-related business strategy that makes any sense is one where media companies/journos go to great pains to show their audiences that they are human beings & that the work they are doing is worth supporting because it is human work vital to their audiences.”
www.404media.co/the-medias-p...
www.404media.co/the-medias-p...
The Media's Pivot to AI Is Not Real and Not Going to Work
AI is not going to save media companies, and forcing journalists to use AI is not a business model.
www.404media.co
July 14, 2025 at 2:39 PM
“the only AI-related business strategy that makes any sense is one where media companies/journos go to great pains to show their audiences that they are human beings & that the work they are doing is worth supporting because it is human work vital to their audiences.”
www.404media.co/the-medias-p...
www.404media.co/the-medias-p...
Reposted by Ryan Pitts
Setting the groundwork for a combination of electoral manipulation and the malignant use of US statistical agencies. Very dangerous stuff.
After Trump pushes the big lie, DeSantis jumps in to say Florida was "jipped" by Biden and he says, "I would love for them to redo the census for 26."
July 1, 2025 at 3:09 PM
Setting the groundwork for a combination of electoral manipulation and the malignant use of US statistical agencies. Very dangerous stuff.