wesley ratko|

Who I Am

I’m Wesley Ratko, a newsroom developer and data journalist at the San Antonio Express-News. My work sits at the intersection of urban planning, data analysis, and visual storytelling—explaining how the natural and built environments shape life in San Antonio. I’m driven by curiosity and a belief that journalism, done well, helps people understand their world and make better decisions.

Philosophy

The through-line in my career is storytelling—grounded in evidence, shaped by place, and guided by process. I approach reporting like a social scientist: gathering data methodically, documenting every step, and ensuring my editors can see the receipts. Accuracy and transparency matter more than polish. Form follows function; good design should clarify, not distract.

Recognition

A recent Express-News investigation, “In Broad Daylight,” won a National Headliner Award for investigative reporting. The four-part series exposed how thousands of Texans were misled by the residential solar industry. I was proud to collaborate with reporter Sara DiNatale and photographer Jessica Phelps on that project—an example of journalism that informs and protects the public interest.

Why I Do This

I’ve worked in and around news my entire adult life—first as an intern, stringer, and beat reporter, and now as a data journalist. Journalism is a noble profession. It demands rigor, empathy, and restraint—the same qualities I’ve tried to cultivate through discipline, mindfulness, and focus.

I also spent time as an AICP-certified transportation planner, using data and mapping to improve mobility and safety. That experience deepened my understanding of how the built enviroment and public policy affect people’s lives. I later returned to reporting, where I used that background to explain how development and planning decisions shape communities.

Combining analytical skills with storytelling feels like the most meaningful way I can serve and inform the public in a way my work as a planner never could.

Skills

• Data analysis & visualization
• Investigative reporting
• Interactive storytelling
• Programming familiarity (Python, pandas, geopandas, JavaScript)
• GIS & cartography
• Applied AI & large language models (LLMs):
  • Prompt engineering and workflow integration using GPT-based tools
  • Understanding of tokenization, temperature, embeddings, and lemmatization
  • Design of reproducible, human-in-the-loop processes for newsroom automation and analysis
  • Development of custom GPTs for editorial and analytical tasks

Reading That Shaped My Thinking

A selected list — each title reflects values that influence how I think and work.

• Daniel Kahneman – Thinking, Fast and Slow
  Taught me to recognize the two modes of thought—intuitive and deliberate—and to lean on deliberate thinking when clarity and precision matter most.
• Susan Cain – Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking
  Helped me understand how introversion shapes how I listen, collaborate, and preserve energy for meaningful work.
• Yuval Noah Harari – Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind
  Reminded me that storytelling is humanity’s superpower. The manner in which we tell stories shapes how we cooperate, resolve conflicts, and make progress. It’s a reminder that responsible journalism means telling stories that inform collective action, not manipulate it.
• Jon Kabat-Zinn – Wherever You Go, There You Are
  A small book on mindfulness and presence that taught me the essentials of practicing mindfulness meditation, which has sharpened my awareness and helped me approach both work and life with steadier focus.