Jason Kao

Hi, my name is Jason Kao. I am a freelance data journalist and web developer. I analyze data and find data insights; visualize data stories; and design and develop websites.

Previously: The New York Times, Bloomberg News, ProPublica. Currently: The Pudding (Polygraph), The DataFace, CUNY AAARI. Open for new public-interest projects!

The Zionist bombardment is leaving millions of tonnes of debris to clean up.

Over thirty original analyses of Census & voting data. Extensive validation and factchecking.

Tools: R; mapshaper; reading documentation; agents

Hosts exhibits from NYC high schoolers that uplift decolonial, solidarity-oriented, working-class AANHPI histories.

Mapping how crowded and damaged Rafah was through satellite imagery tent detection.

Photo by Ahmad Salem.

The Zionist state attacked two hospitals in Gaza, leaving mass graves in the courtyards.

Photo by Ahmad Salem.

Mapping tents and refugee resettlement after the March 2025 "ceasefire".

Photo by Ahmad Salem.

Mapping the Zionist occupation’s physical enforcement of apartheid in the West Bank.

Photo by Sergey Ponomarev/Getty Images.

An analysis of decades of Census data and voting records revealed a major shift.

Tools: Python & R; QGIS, mapshaper, Svelte, and Illustrator for mapping

Role: Interactive data visualization of the obfuscation of body cam footage.

Tools: Svelte/Javascript; ffmpeg

Role: Scraping to break data-driven stories about ICE detention.

Tools: Python for scraping; R for analysis; traditional investigative reporting

When the Coast Guard Intercepts Unaccompanied Kids (ProPublica & The New York Times Magazine)

Role: Tracing datasets, interviewing government data officials, FOIA-ing records for an investigation about Coast Guard interdictions.

Role: Analyzing UN data to assess the impact of the Zionist military’s aid blockade.

Tools: R for data analysis and exploration

Role: Data analysis and data visualization throughout the story.

Tools: R; communication and collaboration with non-technical reporters and editors

Role: Assisted with the coding of Zisiga’s designs.

A Bird’s-Eye View of How Protesters Have Flooded Hong Kong Streets (The New York Times)

Tools: OSINT; Illustrator for presentation

Role: Investigative reporting and annotation on top of Jeremy White’s 3D models.

Tools: OSINT; traditional investigative reporting; Illustrator for presentation

Building tools to communicate, organize, and research redistricting objectives.

Role: Creating and maintaining the React version of Scrollama, a JavaScript library for scrollytelling.

Texas’ new race and social studies law prompts McKinney school officials to cancel Youth and Government class (Texas Tribune)

Role: An original investigation into how the "critical race theory" laws affected Texas schools.

Tools: Traditional investigative reporting; FOIA requests. Photo by Eric Lee.

Work with me

I work on a few public-interest projects at a time. My rate is $175/hr, though it depends on the kind of work. Happy to have a 30-min intro call to see if it's a fit!