What does CDP stand for in journalism? There is no single newsroom definition, but in news stories CDP most often stands for census-designated place, a community the U.S. Census Bureau counts as a place even though it has no city government of its own. On the business side of media companies, CDP usually means customer data platform, software that gathers what a publisher knows about its readers.
A third meaning turns up in business and climate reporting: CDP is the name of a nonprofit that collects environmental data from companies, and it was once called the Carbon Disclosure Project. Reading the sentence around the letters tells you which one a reporter means.
Quick facts
In local news
Census-designated placeIn media business
Customer data platformIn climate news
CDP, the disclosure nonprofit (formerly Carbon Disclosure Project)Type
Initialism, said C D PPlural
CDPsNot to be confused with
CPJ, a press freedom group
What does CDP stand for in journalism, by beat?
| Beat or desk | CDP stands for | Sample line |
|---|---|---|
| Local news, data stories | Census-designated place | "The town is a CDP with about 4,000 residents." |
| Audience and revenue teams | Customer data platform | "Our CDP shows which readers might subscribe." |
| Business and climate desks | CDP, the environmental disclosure nonprofit | "The company reported its emissions to CDP." |
| World news | The initials of some foreign political parties | Explained in the story on first use |
Good news writing spells out a short form the first time it appears. If an article uses CDP with no explanation, check an earlier paragraph.
Census-designated place: the reporter's version
Many American communities have a name, a post office and a main street, but no mayor or city council because they were never incorporated. The Census Bureau still needs to count them, so it draws boundaries and calls each one a census-designated place. The label is for statistics only. It does not create a government, set taxes or change addresses.
Reporters run into CDPs when they write about population, housing or local services. A story might say a crash happened "in an unincorporated area" and then cite census figures for the CDP. Data journalists also see the term in census tables, where CDPs sit next to cities and towns.
From a local news story: "Pine Hollow, a census-designated place of about 2,300 people, relies on the county sheriff for policing." The CDP label tells readers the community has no police force of its own because it is not a city.
Customer data platform in the media business
Publishers, like other companies, collect information about the people who read, watch or subscribe. A customer data platform pulls that information from many sources, such as newsletter sign ups, website visits and subscription records, into one profile for each reader. Teams use it to send the right newsletter, decide when to show a subscription offer or measure how loyal readers are.
This meaning belongs to the business and marketing side, much like CRM or KPI. Reporters rarely use it in stories unless they cover media companies, but newsroom staff may hear it in meetings. For more office and marketing terms, see our business acronyms list.
CDP in climate and business reporting
The environmental nonprofit known as CDP runs a system that asks companies, cities and other groups to report their climate and environmental data. It began as the Carbon Disclosure Project and later shortened its name to the letters alone. In articles about corporate emissions or ESG scores, CDP almost always means this group or its ratings.
Look-alikes that confuse readers
- CPJ: the Committee to Protect Journalists, a press freedom group. The letters are close to CDP but mean something completely different.
- CDC: the public health agency, often in the same health and data stories. See CDC.
- SEO: search engine optimization, the work of helping stories show up in search results. Newsroom audience teams use it alongside a CDP. See SEO.
How to say and write CDP
Say each letter, "see dee pee." Keep the letters uppercase and undotted. Most editors want the long version the first time it shows up in a story: "census-designated place (CDP)" or simply "census-designated place," with CDP reserved for later mentions or tables. Use "a CDP," since the first sound is "see." The plural is CDPs.
Examples: "Most of the county lives in three CDPs." "The CDP's population grew by 8 percent." "The audience team is testing a new CDP."
Questions people ask
What does CDP mean in a news article?
Most often it means census-designated place, a community the Census Bureau counts even though it is not an incorporated city or town. In business stories it may mean customer data platform or the climate nonprofit CDP.
Is a census-designated place a real town?
It is a real community with real residents, but it has no city government. The census label exists only for counting and statistics.
What is a customer data platform in media?
It is software that combines what a publisher knows about each reader, such as visits, newsletters and subscriptions, into one profile. Teams use it for marketing and audience planning.
Is CDP the same as CPJ?
No. CPJ is the Committee to Protect Journalists, a press freedom group. CDP has several meanings, none of them that group.
How do you pronounce CDP?
Say the three letters separately: "C D P."