Local Government Analyst Acquired by Boston Globe

In the US, Boston Globe Media has acquired InstaTrac, a Massachusetts-based government information company helping clients to understand state and local government activity.

InstaTrac was founded by former journalist Michael Segal, and launched in partnership with what was then Phoenix Media Group. Its subscription-based services help to find, track and understand government information: they include MassTrac, a legislative tracking and government intelligence platform covering the state's legislative activity, and MuniTrac, which provides searchable access to local meetings, agendas, minutes, and transcripts. Clients include public officials, government affairs professionals, nonprofit organizations, businesses, researchers, and municipal leaders.

Boston Globe Media says the buy expands its ability to access and analyze government information while creating new opportunities to strengthen reporting, support transparency, and innovate in local journalism. According to CEO Linda Henry (pictured), 'InstaTrac has built something incredibly valuable over the last three decades. Michael and his team recognized early on that people don't just need access to information - they need help understanding what it means. That philosophy aligns directly with our mission at Boston Globe Media.' She adds: 'We see tremendous opportunity to invest in this platform, grow it, and explore new ways it can support both the customers who rely on it and the journalists who serve our communities.'

The InstaTrac team will join Boston Globe Media as part of the transition.

Yesterday DRNO reported a $70m funding win for Washington-based State Affairs, a company combining exclusive journalistic reporting from state capitols with legislative, regulatory and other data gathered from states and at the federal level, both through structured government sources and on-the-ground gathering.

Web site: www.bostonglobemedia.com .