Matt Kiefer

Matt Kiefer serves as an Assistant Professor at the Medill School of Journalism, Northwestern University, specializing in data journalism instruction. His professional background includes significant roles at WBEZ, the Washington Post, and the Chicago Reporter.

His research centers on the intersection of journalism and technology, with primary focus areas including automated public records request systems (FOIA automation), police traffic stop analytics, and civic election tools. Key projects he developed include FOIAmail—a framework for automating Freedom of Information Act requests—and lookout, which integrates FOIA automation with Outlook. His work emphasizes practical software solutions for investigative reporting and government transparency.

Notable recognition includes:

• 2020 JSK Fellow at Stanford University

As an active open-source contributor, he maintains 46 public repositories on GitHub with 118 stars, demonstrating consistent technical engagement. His repositories like foiamail (43 stars), traffic_stops (analyzing Illinois police stops 2004-present), and cpd-settlements reflect his commitment to data-driven journalism tools. Recent activity shows 12 private repository contributions in October 2025, indicating ongoing development work.