Dante Chinni
Bio
Dante Chinni is a data and political journalist and director of the American Communities Project, which is based at the MSU J-School. He is a winner of the Knight-Batten Award for Innovation in Journalism and co-author of the book Our Patchwork Nation. Chinni has been a reporter and writer for the Wall Street Journal and for NBC News's Meet the Press, for which he produced the weekly Data Download segment.
Starting in June 2026, the American Communities Project received a $1.6 million grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation to continue doing work exploring the fragmentation of American society and culture. That work will combine survey research, data analysis and on-the-ground reporting in an effort to better understand what is dividing the country and what might help stitch it back together.
Chinni often leads an independent study with a small group of students using the Project's 15 community types to study issues impacting Michigan and elections producing work that is published with partner news organizations.
A graduate of Michigan State, when Dante is not in East Lansing he can usually be found living in Washington with his wife Christina Ianzito and their dog Skeeter.
Roles
Director of the American Communities Project
Research and Teaching
Areas of Interest
- Data and demographics
- Community identities
- Politics
