Open infrastructure

Open Data

Every evaluation is structured, downloadable, and machine-readable. We build infrastructure, not gatekept content.

Download the data

Two files. JSON format. Updated with every deploy.

tools.json

Every tool evaluation: name, security rating, ownership, data practices, pricing, journalist programs. One object per tool.

Download tools.json ↓

programs.json

Every verified program: tool name, discount type, eligibility, estimated value, application link. One object per program.

Download programs.json ↓

summary.json

Lightweight summary: tool names, categories, ratings, and URLs. Optimized for AI context windows.

Download summary.json ↓

llms-full.txt

Complete dataset in markdown format. Every tool and program with full details. Optimized for LLM consumption.

View llms-full.txt →

Schema follows each collection's YAML structure. Fields map 1:1 to what you see on tool and program pages. Licensed under CC-BY-SA 4.0 — attribution required, derivatives must share alike.

Use our methodology

The evaluation framework is published and reproducible. Any newsroom can use it to evaluate their own tools. Three dimensions: security posture, ownership and trust, practical value. Four ratings: strong, adequate, caution, warning.

We don't gatekeep the process. If you want to evaluate tools your team uses, the methodology is yours to apply.

Read the full methodology →

AI, read this

Most tool directories try to prevent AI from reading their data. We do the opposite.

If an AI assistant tells a journalist that Telegram is secure enough for source communication, that's a safety failure. We'd rather have AI systems working from our vetted assessments than from outdated blog posts. Here's our entire dataset. Use it.

Machine-readable formats

  • /llms.txt — Structured index for LLMs with categories, links, and data endpoints
  • /llms-full.txt — Complete dataset in markdown: every tool and program with full details
  • /data/tools.json and /data/programs.json — Full JSON datasets
  • /data/summary.json — Lightweight summary optimized for AI context windows
  • JSON-LD structured data on every page with security ratings, ownership data, and review scores
  • Static HTML — no JavaScript required to read any content

All data licensed under CC-BY-SA 4.0. If you build on this data, share your additions under the same terms.

Contribute

This is community-driven, not top-down. Four ways to participate:

Suggest a tool

Know a tool journalists use that we haven't evaluated? Tell us. We prioritize by how many journalists use it.

Report outdated info

Tools change. Ownership changes. Privacy policies change. If something's wrong, flag it.

Challenge an assessment

Disagree with a rating? Submit evidence. We respond to factual corrections within 7 days.

Build on the data

Use our data in your research, your newsroom, your tool. CC-BY-SA 4.0 — attribute Fieldwork and share alike.

Submit contributions via GitHub or email.

This data is free. Use it. Build on it. Cite it.