Founder & Editor
An independent journalism project monitoring New York City mayoral promises, government actions, appointments and policy outcomes.
New York City · Journalism & audience strategy
Journalist & newsroom leader
Anthony Esguerra is a New York-based journalist and newsroom leader. He is the Director of Audience Strategy at Vital City and the founder of Mamdani Tracker, an independent journalism project monitoring New York City government.
Explore projects
Reporting, audience strategy and digital products with a public-service mission.
Founder & Editor
An independent journalism project monitoring New York City mayoral promises, government actions, appointments and policy outcomes.
THE CITY
Developed a newsroom tool to collect and organize reader questions, helping journalists identify community concerns and opportunities for service journalism.
Fact-checking and Explanatory Journalism
Developed a COVID-19 fact-checking chatbot and explanatory journalism content on Philippine elections through initiatives supported by Internews.
Reporting, editorial leadership and audience development across newsrooms and platforms.
Vital City is a New York City-based publication examining public policy, governance and the challenges facing cities. Anthony leads audience strategy and engagement, developing initiatives across newsletters, search, digital platforms and content distribution to grow readership and strengthen connections with audiences.
Mamdani Tracker is an independent journalism project documenting New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani's promises, actions, appointments and policy outcomes. Anthony founded the project and leads its editorial direction, research and digital product development alongside journalists, economists and policy analysts.
BenarNews is a news organization covering politics, security, human rights and other public-interest developments across Asia and the Pacific. Anthony led a distributed audience engagement team, overseeing digital audience strategy, multiplatform storytelling and editorial initiatives informed by audience insights.
Spotify is a global audio streaming platform. Anthony analyzed audience behavior, content performance and safety signals to inform editorial distribution and content positioning across Southeast Asian markets.
Voice of America is a U.S. international broadcaster providing news and information to global audiences. Anthony reported on Philippine news and current affairs for television, radio and digital platforms.
VICE World News was the international news division of VICE Media, producing reporting, investigations and documentaries. Anthony covered politics, society and major developments across Southeast Asia through written journalism, documentaries and digital video.
GMA News is a major Philippine broadcast and digital news organization. Anthony worked as an on-camera reporter, host and producer covering politics, justice and foreign affairs, producing stories for television and digital audiences.
INQUIRER.net is the digital news platform associated with the Philippine Daily Inquirer, one of the country's leading newspapers. Anthony helped develop its social media and audience engagement operations, introducing emerging digital storytelling formats and expanding the publication's online reach.
Director of Audience Strategy
Founder & Editor
Anthony Esguerra is a New York-based journalist and newsroom leader. He is the Director of Audience Strategy at Vital City and the founder of Mamdani Tracker, an independent journalism project monitoring New York City government.
His career spans reporting, editorial leadership and audience development in the United States and Southeast Asia. Originally from the Philippines, he has worked with news organizations including VICE, BenarNews, Voice of America, GMA News and INQUIRER.net.
I'm usually the one reporting the news, not appearing in it. But every now and then, the roles reverse. Here are a few occasions when I've found myself on the other side of the story.
Radio interview
WFUV — What's What
A radio conversation with WFUV's Xenia Gonikberg about Mamdani Tracker and the administration's first 100 days.
News feature
Manila Bulletin
A profile of the people behind Mamdani Tracker and our effort to bring greater transparency and accountability to New York City government.
News coverage
GMA News
Coverage of Mamdani Tracker's launch and our approach to documenting campaign promises and government actions.
Professional announcement
Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at CUNY
An announcement introducing the journalism leaders selected for CUNY's AI Journalism Lab, including my work in audience strategy at BenarNews.
Professional recognition
International News Media Association
Named among the recipients of INMA's Elevate scholarship program for emerging news media professionals.
Profile and interview
Association of Foreign Press Correspondents USA
A profile and interview about my journalism career, press freedom, newsroom sustainability and the future of independent journalism.
Master of Arts in Journalism
Digital Innovation concentration
2023
AI Journalism Lab
Leadership Cohort
January – April 2025
Find my latest work at Vital City and Mamdani Tracker.