The Guardian has announced the launch of Deleted data, a new series investigating the growing loss and alteration of US government data, and what it means for the public. Part of the broader Building power project, the series will track, investigate and seek to reconstruct critical public datasets that have been altered or erased.
Across federal agencies, decades of vital datasets covering climate, public health, economic inequality and civil rights have been removed, altered or left to deteriorate. The series will document what is being lost, examine why it matters, and reveal the tangible consequences for communities nationwide.
The series is led by senior editor Caitlin Yoshiko Kandil, data reporter Amy Qin (formerly of WBEZ) and graphics reporter Flávio Pessoa (formerly of the Washington Post). It builds on the Guardian’s legacy of data journalism, including The Counted, which tracked police killings in the US, and Lost on the frontline, which tracked healthcare worker deaths from Covid-19.
Kandil said: “When it comes to government data, what we choose to measure and maintain reflects what we value. As that data disappears, it becomes harder to see inequality and hold power to account.” The series is supported by theguardian.org and partners including the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the Marguerite Casey Foundation, with all reporting remaining editorially independent.
The Guardian is inviting readers, researchers and public servants to contribute tips about missing or altered data via deleted-data@theguardian.com.
