Original research and analysis to help changemakers be more agile and impactful.

The Civic Information Observatory is a research firm dedicated to providing visibility into civic news and information landscapes. This includes identifying suppliers (including highlighting trusted suppliers), and understanding how audiences consume the news and information those suppliers provide. We do this using rigorous social scientific methods, the latest advances in AI, and deep communication with funders and communities. 

Civic Information Observatory’s research is premised on a central goal: being useful to people in the field who need answers to their questions, big and small. Whether a journalism support organization who needs to map the news and information landscape they serve, a publisher who wants to better understand their output or audience, or a funder who wants a systematic analysis of a nascent business model – our research aims to help the field move forward.

Led by Sarah Stonbely, PhD, our team brings expertise from journalism, computer science, cartography, AI, and a range of other disciplines to produce insights into the rapidly changing world of journalism and beyond. See our Research page for examples of our work.