Here’s a sampling of recent projects that we especially appreciated—inspiring work that we loved exploring and sharing.

Under Our Skin

(Seattle Times, June 20, 2016)
A video project that’s also a living dictionary—and a dialogue about dialogue on race in America. In the robust comments section, a form helps readers structure their thoughts, and each remark gets vetted. From the Seattle Times:

For those who freeze up at the prospect of talking about race, we hope this project will help break the ice. For those who tend to take sides right away when the issue of race comes up, we hope Under Our Skin will challenge assumptions and build common ground.

Settling for Misconduct

(Chicago Reporter, June 23, 2016)
Explore the scope and details of police misconduct in Chicago (655 lawsuits paid out from 2012 to 2015) with a well-designed database that fills a gaping hole: “Unlike some other major cities, Chicago doesn’t analyze the lawsuits for trends, identify the officers most frequently sued, or determine ways to reduce both the cost of the cases and officer misconduct.”

Inside the Hun Family’s Business Empire

(Phnom Penh Post, July 7, 2016)
The Phnom Penh Post builds a wheel visualization from Global Witness’s scathing report on the Cambodian ruling family, and tool tips reveal a fortune.

Clayton Kershaw’s Dominant First Half, Pitch by Pitch

(Los Angeles Times, July 11, 2016)
See each pitch through expert eyes, with a project that walks us through the wins.

Growing Up Homeless

(Youth Radio, June 28, 2016)
Instagram becomes the shell for a graphic narrative, telling the story of teen homelessness in an intimate and simple format.

Even More Things

How goes your Pokemon security? For another way to augment your reality, here’s The Pickle Index, with an app that’s kludgy by design. Change your shirt: CSS Black Lives Matter. Even kids are switching to HTTPS. And for a little bit of sonic peace, a photo with a hover.

Here at OpenNews, we’re working hard to prep for SRCCON. But let’s talk before then. Our next community call is Thursday, July 14, at noon ET. (And take our short survey on the journalism/tech community, won’t you?)

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