ProPublica Hires Nick McMillan to Uncover Hidden Stories with Data-Driven Journalism

Nick McMillan Joins ProPublica as Computational Journalist ProPublica has announced the hiring of Nick McMillan as a computational journalist on its data and news apps team, effective immediately. In this role, McMillan will leverage technology and data to uncover stories that would otherwise be inaccessible. According to Ken Schwencke, senior editor for data and news applications at ProPublica, "Nick has an impressive track record of using cutting-edge technology to unlock reporting paths. I'm excited for him to use those skills to hold power to account at ProPublica." McMillan joins ProPublica from NPR, where he served as a data journalist on the investigations team. During his tenure, he combined reporting with data analysis, developing tools that transformed raw records into evidence for investigations. One notable example of McMillan's work is his development of a custom optical character recognition program to parse more than 7,000 government work task files. This tool helped reveal how a federal program was killing thousands of wild animals with little accountability. McMillan also co-reported a story exposing how power lines operated by Southern California Edison sparked new fires as crews battled existing ones. To support this investigation, he created a tool that processed and transcribed more than 2,000 hours of first responder radio into searchable, timestamped audio. ProPublica's decision to hire McMillan reflects the growing importance of computational journalism in modern reporting. As Schwencke noted, "The ability to work with data and technology is no longer a nicety – it's a necessity for journalists today." McMillan's expertise will be invaluable as ProPublica continues to push the boundaries of investigative journalism. With his skills at the helm, the organization can expect to uncover even more complex stories that shed light on issues affecting society. ProPublica's commitment to innovative storytelling and its willingness to invest in cutting-edge technology have made it a leader in the field of computational journalism. The addition of McMillan to the team is a testament to this dedication and will undoubtedly lead to new breakthroughs in reporting. As for what lies ahead, Schwencke hinted at future projects that will leverage McMillan's expertise: "We're excited to see how Nick's skills will help us tackle some of the most pressing issues facing our country today." With McMillan on board, ProPublica is poised to continue its tradition of groundbreaking reporting and push the boundaries of what is possible in computational journalism. *Reporting by Propublica.*