August 19: Training Session: New Tools for Tracking Money-in-Politics

PRESS ADVISORY

August 13, 2008

Contact: Bill Allison 202-742-1520 ext. 224

WASHINGTON, DC -- The Sunlight Foundation and the Center for Responsive Politics are hosting a training session for reporting on money and politics in the fall elections, beginning at 9 a.m on August 19, in Zenger Room of the National Press Club. The session will focus on new online resources for covering congressional campaigns. In 2008, there's more disclosure, more sources of data, and more tools and techniques for following the money than ever before. Whether you've written on money in politics for years or are covering your first campaign, you'll get new information on what tools are out there, how to use them, stories they can help you with, and stories you can pursue based on the data

With one week to go before the Democratic National Convention kicks off in Denver, are you up to speed on all the new tools for following the money? Have you heard about Party Time, the Sunlight Foundation's new project that tracks the hosts, sponsors and beneficiaries of Washington fundraisers, as well as privately sponsored events at the Denver and Minneapolis-St. Paul political conventions? Know where to find LD-203 data, and what the perils and pitfalls are in using it? At the session, you'll...

• get a first peak at Party Time, the Sunlight Foundation’s new online database site tracking congressional fundraisers, convention parties, and other invitation-only political events, letting you see when and where candidates are raising money, who’s hosting the parties, and other information;

• get a guided tour of the redesigned OpenSecrets.org, with tips on how to navigate more quickly, how to find your old favorite data, plus information on what’s new (and what’s coming);

• a quick guide to using OpenCongress.org, the premiere tool for tracking Congress’s official business;

• an overview of what other data is out there and where;

• story ideas for following the money whether you’re covering one razor thin race or a handful of incumbents with no serious challengers.

For more details, contact Bill Allison at the Sunlight Foundation, ballison@sunlightfoundation.com or 202-742-1520.

The Sunlight Foundation supports, develops and deploys new Internet technologies to make information about Congress and the federal government more accessible to the American people. Through its projects and grant-making, Sunlight serves as a catalyst to create greater political transparency and to foster more openness and accountability in government. The Center for Responsive Politics is the nation's premier research group tracking money in U.S. politics and its effect on elections and public policy. Nonpartisan, independent and nonprofit, the organization aims to create a more educated voter, an involved citizenry and a more responsive government.
###