Data Journalist, Civic Ledger
Local government and budgets.
Data journalist · Civic Ledger
Theo Park
I report local government with numbers readers can check. Budgets, contracts, and public records, not vibes with a chart.
Minneapolis, MN / Open to staff and project collaborations
01Profile
Report local government stories with original data analysis.
Known for
- Budget trackers
- Public records
- Local desk
Focus
- City hall
- Housing
- Transparency
02Story
I studied journalism and data science at Minnesota, freelanced public-records stories, interned at the Civic Ledger, and joined the staff in 2024. Early career means I still learn the beat in public. The standard I hold is simple: if a reader cannot re-run the claim, I am not done reporting.
03Chronology
Reporting Intern, Civic Ledger
Local desk data work.
B.A. Journalism & Data Science, UMN
04Work
City budget trackerData
Interactive tracker of Minneapolis budget amendments used in council coverage.
Cited in three council debates.
Inspection backlog seriesInvestigation
Paired data and documents on housing inspection delays.
Print + digital package.
Overtime and vendor contractsRecords
Public records analysis of overtime patterns and major vendor spends.
Two front-page packages.
05Impact
Staff since 2024
Civic Ledger data journalist.
Budget tracker live
Used in council coverage.
6 freelance data stories
Before staff hire.
06Queries
What does Theo Park do?
Theo is a data journalist at the Civic Ledger in Minneapolis, covering local government with original data analysis and public records.
07Notes
Method is the ethics
Transparency is not a footer. It is the path from document to claim.