About

I’m an associate professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with an interest in social media, data driven reporting and digital media economics. I also train journalists and consult with newsrooms on editorial product development throughout North America and three other continents.

With funding from the Knight Foundation and Google, I help news organizations use digital public records to lower costs and increase revenue associated with accountability and explanatory journalism.

My book, Producing Online News: New Tools, Stronger Stories was published in 2010 by CQPress. I’m also a coauthor of Reaching Audiences, 5th Edition, an introductory news writing textbook.

Before coming to UNC in 2007, I spent my career focusing on online journalism as the managing editor of USNews.com, the online arm of U.S. News & World Report, the managing editor for Congressional Quarterly’s Web site, www.cq.com, and the national/international editor for The Washington Post’s Web site, www.washingtonpost.com from 2003 to 2005. I started working in online news when I joined washingtonpost.com as a producer in 1997.

I earned my master’s degree from The George Washington University’s Graduate School of Political Management, while working with the Institute for Politics, Democracy and the Internet and writing about online political fundraising. My bachelor’s degree is from The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Full Academic C.V. (December 2014)

Head shot

CONTACT RYAN

219 Carroll Hall
CB 3365
University of North Carolina
Chapel Hill, NC 27599-3365

(919) 537-3681
ryan.thornburg@unc.edu

 

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