Howdy!
Gasworks Data is me, Tiff Fehr, a data journalist & newsroom software engineer, previously of CUNY Craig Newark j-school’s newsroom innovation program, The New York Times and the joint-venture era of msnbc.com (not necessarily in that order).
I bring 20+ years of experience in full-stack engineering, project management and Prize-winning data journalism to projects both big and small, but always newsy & nerdy.
Let’s bring ambitious projects to life!
Services
Whether you’re an individual, news organization or something else entirely, I’m ready to partner with your team on projects that require both technical + editorial expertise. I know a ton about:
- Data journalism, reporting & visualization
- Custom software & tool development including news apps
- Technical + editorial editing and/or project management
- Pipelines, observability & AI’s pros/cons
- Training & mentoring code-curious reporters & data journalists
- Leading projects and strategies that blend tech and news
Projects
A list of my professional highlights is here, albeit not everything is fully written up (there’s a lot to remember).
Recent and current Gasworks Data clients include ProPublica, OpenNews and Newspack within the Emergency Mode for News award from PressForward, among other non-news software projects.
Additionally, I have multiple forward-looking projects and topics that interest me, within “news-nerd” circles:
Data
Investigations - My data-science-leaning skills can help you collect and dig into large datasets that would be difficult to uncover through traditional reporting methods.
Resilient
Scraping - My focus is good-citizenship scraping amid staggering amounts AI-bot traffic. Pooled resources, accountability and shared scraping infrastructure can newsrooms of all sizes responsibly collect data they need.
Workflow
Design - Many newsrooms can benefit from tailored workflows that make the most of their time and resources, whether that means automating repetitive tasks, improving collaboration or finding new ways to use data.
Skill
Superpowers - I champion “spreadsheet-assisted reporting”, using no-code or low-code work in spreadsheets in ways that empower reporters and builds skills they can use again and again.
Connect
Please contact me to start an email conversation, book an appointment slot or two or just verify my bona fides on GitHub and/or LinkedIn.
Pledges
My company commits to these tenets:
Low-profit L3C status
Gasworks Data is in part a Utah-registered L3C, a low-profit variation on an LLC. Its primary purpose is to advance charitable & educational impact. Most of my after-tax profits will go to news outlets, journalism support organizations and NGOs, particularly those run by individuals from under-represented communities.
Having part of my business as an L3C means that I can meet PRI requirements and accept support for projects. I provide annual public accounting to clients, partners and the general public. Please join my accountability newsletter if this interests you.
Woman-owned & operated
You’re visiting my registered woman-owned business, partnering with and supporting women in business operations & L3C profit sharing.
Carbon-neutral
AI + clouds is a mess but I take meaningful action to achieve net-zero emissions via sustainable business operations, client guidance & L3C profit sharing.
Work/life
Balance After years in newsrooms, I value both deadlines and boundaries. My company is remote-, athleisure- & pet-friendly. If we work together, you may meet my non-voting Fuzzy Shareholders & Supervisors.
Miscellany
Why
⚶ ? - The Unicode character for Vesta f.k.a. Hestia, the ancient goddess of home [offices], hearth, gathering and stability. Unicode considers it minor astrology by way of a large protoplanet in the asteroid belt but I prefer to focus on the goddess(es). Gasworks is an Official Silver Sponsor of ⚶.
Why
Gasworks? - My career started by Seattle’s Gas Works Park, a gasification plant turned public park with a stunning view of Seattle’s skyline. Now I live a continent away in an art-deco landmark that previously housed the local gas company’s HQ. Gasworks is a nod to both places and unexpectedly shabby-chic reclamations of fading industries.
