Data Renegades Ep. #2, Data Journalism Unleashed with Simon Willison
Nov 25, 2025
Simon Willison, a prominent open-source software developer and data journalism advocate, shares his journey from creating Django to building Datasette. He discusses the evolution of data journalism and highlights impactful projects like the Washington Post's opioid investigation. The conversation explores how open-source tools can empower newsrooms, the potential of AI in automating data cleaning, and innovative uses of Datasette for diverse purposes. Simon also predicts a future where AI reshapes data workflows and enriches team capabilities.
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Small-Town CMS Sparked Big Ideas
- Simon Willison started building Django while interning at a small Kansas newspaper and realized structuring local data enables rich features.
- The Downloads Page that surfaced bands playing that week showed the power of relational data even for tiny towns.
Share Big Datasets To Empower Local Reporting
- The Washington Post released a massive opioid-prescription dataset and enabled local reporting by sharing APIs and interfaces.
- Collaborative data journalism multiplies impact by letting local outlets analyze the same cleaned data.
Datasette In Crucial Investigations
- Datasette was used by Bellingcat to explore leaked Russian food-delivery data and identify FSB activity.
- Simon learned about these high-impact uses later and joked about open source's silence when people use your tools.
