Hello, I'm Scott Pham, an investigative data reporter at BuzzFeed News. Before that I was at the Center for Investigative Reporting. I obtain and analyze data to build and support investigations on topics like domestic terrorism and police militarization. I also build interactive news applications and data visualizations.
BuzzFeed News
A solo investigation into a secretive database states use to track and punish people accused of child abuse. I spoke to more than 100 sources and filed more than a dozen public record requests for data. My reporting and analysis showed that the registries capture far too many innocent parents and disproportionately hurts people of color.
BuzzFeed News
A massive collaborative reporting project with the International Consortium of Investigation Journalists. Unveiled the way banks allow dirty money to flow freely through the US financial system. Finalist for a 2021 Pulitzer Prize.
CIR
I analyzed data for a story about Silicon Valley diversity. My interactive charts showed how the gender and race breakdowns of various companies change drastically when you take into account the different professions.
CIR
An interactive narrative that shows how three massive forest fires spiraled out of control. This story won a Philip Meyer Award in 2016 for data journalism.
CIR
I designed, laid out, and programmed this unique story format for a narrative about a controversial Canadian oil pipeline. Scroll-based events triggered animations on a custom map, orienting the user as he reads through the piece.
CIR/The Investigative Fund
I helped to build and analyze a unique database of domestic terror incidents. I built an interactive application to view and map these incidents.
NBC
This story analyzes a huge federal dataset that indicates how much military gear each state has obtained through the “1033” Department of Defense program. Features an interactive map and an interactive chart, both in D3.js.
NBC
This map accesses the USGS API to bring an always up-to-date view of earthquakes in the immediate Bay Area. User interactions on the table update the map’s view and vice-versa.
NBC
This collection of “small multiples” provides easy comparison across two categories: place and year. The bar charts, written in D3.js, are “linked”, allowing mouse events in one chart to produce effects in all the others.
Email me at scottgpham[at]gmail.com