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39-420: States Newsroom is a nonprofit news network with newsrooms or a partner news organization in all 50 U.S. states that focus mostly on state policy and politics. States Newsroom grew out of NC Policy Watch, a progressive think tank founded in 2004 by Chris Fitzsimon, who said it "is sort of the model for the news sites we support". He is States Newsroom's current president. In 2017, the project expanded, using

78-578: A creative commons license by States Newsroom to supplement their local reporting without having to pay for subscriptions to the Associated Press. ProPublica’s Richard Tofel argues that investigative reporting will never become obsolete, as it increasingly competes with declining mainstream media that focuses on daily politics. Philanthrojournalism has provided an alternative business model to for-profit journalism. By mostly being digital natives with less reliance on ads, nonprofit outlets have grown

117-580: A dependence by nonprofit organizations. Bob Feldman (2007) added that the processes used to gain such funding are modeled in “safe, legalistic, bureaucratic activities and mild reformism” and creates a “climate of secrecy” as the foundations domesticate their agendas. Many organizations cooperate with for-profit media and even subsidize investigations to use their broad networks for their news stories. Most print and broadcast commercial outlets have expressed openness to collaborating with nonprofit partners, especially around investigative journalism. In some cases,

156-581: A few years of its founding. The number of nonprofit investigative reporting centers has grown from only three in the late 1980s to dozens in the 2020s, with centers originating in countries such as Romania , the Philippines , Jordan , and South Africa . Four global conferences on investigative journalism since 2000 have attracted some 2,000 journalists from more than 50 countries. There have been many initiatives to increase transparency and accountability in funding to improve editorial independence. For example,

195-801: A large number of donors could also increase competition and therefore the need for credibility and transparency for both donors and the investigative centers. Many organizations, such as ProPublica , are publishing the salary of their journalists as well as the center sources of revenue on their websites. Many centers, such as the Voice of San Diego, are also utilizing hybrid models of philanthropy and private sector revenue combinations. The Bay Citizen , for example, bases its funds on four sources of revenue. Sustainability has been an expressed concern for some. Mike Caulfield and Sam Wineburg in their 2023 book about online media literacy , caution that nonprofit status (and .org domains) should not be used as evidence that

234-506: A partisan outlet designed to look apolitical. In June 2024, Axios called States Newsroom "one of the more strategic" of the "politically motivated websites masquerading as independent local news outlets." Other media watchers have disputed accusations of partisanship and noted the caliber of the journalists and relative autonomy from the national organization. In 2020, the Nieman Foundation for Journalism listed but then retracted adding

273-463: A significant niche. In 2009, mainstream media faced a revenue decline of up to 25 to 30 percent. Commercial media has faced a huge financial collapse and has therefore been forced to lay off many reporters and the reduce the size or completely shut down its foreign bureaus . Nonprofit news outlets often hire experienced journalists who have left their mainstream media careers. A PEW research study in 2010 reveals that while demand for substantive news

312-452: A study on the "big three" US-based foundations – Ford , Rockefeller and Carnegie – and revealed that they play the role of unofficial planning agencies, have a very US-centric model, and utilize a very "elitist, technocratic approach to social change." Likewise, Sean Stannard-Stockton, claims that in addition to maintaining the status quo, many foundations use “hard power” to “shape events by providing or withdrawing grants” thereby creating

351-675: Is high, the commercial press has not been fulfilling its social responsibility role, especially in terms of investigative journalism. For example, in Los Angeles news outlets, only 1.9% of a 30-minute newscast was devoted to civic affairs, and 3.3% of Los Angeles Times news reporting was devoted to local government news. Moreover, readers are increasingly choosing internet-based news as a source of information over print news. Nonprofits, unlike mainstream media, have tended to be greater pioneers of civic journalism, as they focus most of their news on civic affairs. Major nonprofit news outlets, such as

390-682: Is increasingly bringing them closer to younger generations. Rebecca Nee (2011) argues that philanthrojournalism could become an alternative to mainstream media . Nee emphasizes the decreasing role of mainstream news media, as she cites the 2010 State of the News Media report, which claimed that circulation had dropped by one quarter since the 21st century. Nee also adds that the digital revolution has fuelled an increasing number of readers to opt for online newspaper , allowing many digitally-native nonprofit investigative outlets to thrive in their area of digital expertise. Nonprofit news outlets are slightly in

429-481: The CJR had an eight-person staff, an annual budget of $ 2.3 million, and a paper circulation of approximately 19,000, including 6,000 student subscriptions. Subscriptions to an Internet newsletter entitled The Media Today have begun, but as of 2017, enrollment numbers are not available and do not contribute to these circulation figures. In 2016, Kyle Pope , who had served as the editor in chief of The New York Observer ,

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468-487: The Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism since 1961. Its original purpose was "to assess the performance of journalism in all its forms, to call attention to its shortcomings and strengths, and to help define—or redefine—standards of honest, responsible service." Its contents include news and media industry trends, analysis, professional ethics, and stories behind news. In October 2015, it

507-462: The Institute for Nonprofit News (INN), formed in 2009, is a network of hundreds of nonprofit news organizations that must meet their journalistic standards . The proliferation of investigative journalism centers ranges from state-oriented initiatives to local grassroots-based initiatives. The state or region-based model often benefits from sustainability based on reliable funding from foundations in

546-572: The Pew Charitable Trusts transferred its Stateline news service, which provides nonpartisan reporting on trends in state policy, to States Newsroom with $ 3 million to help with the transition. As of 2024, it reported having 220 full-time employees, with an annual budget of more than $ 22 million. It grew from five affiliates upon its 2019 launch to 39 freestanding newsrooms at 11 partner outlets covering all 50 states by early 2024. States Newsroom has newsrooms in 39 states under its umbrella and

585-478: The Pew Research Center 's Journalism Project studied 46 national-level nonprofit investigative organizations created after 2005, examining their transparency, political bias, number of revenue streams and productivity. The study showed that, within that time period, the news organizations which have multiple funding sources and are transparent about funding have a more balanced ideological perspective. Out of

624-583: The Pulitzer Prize for Commentary . Lyman was recognized "[f]or brave, clear and pointed columns that challenge ever-more-repressive state policies flouting democratic norms and targeting vulnerable populations, written with the command and authority of a veteran political observer." Iowa Capital Dispatch was the first to report a lawsuit against a local Tyson pork-processing plant for work conditions during COVID-19. Given its history of dark money funding and left-leaning editorial boards, some have questioned

663-694: The Center for Public Integrity, ProPublica and the Center for Investigative Reporting , have won Pulitzer Prizes, which has boosted their fundraising efforts in turn. According to a study, many reporters felt the nonprofit funding model gives them greater freedom to choose stories based on merit and public impact rather than popularity. Unlike mainstream media, which relies more on business strategies, nonprofit news outlets may not need to show their philanthropic funders an immediate return on investment. Their nonprofit status also allows them to be exempted from federal taxes in

702-712: The US. Many nonprofit centers receive their revenue through a total or partial combination of the following strategies: membership donations, corporate sponsorships or advertising, charging other media for content, providing services such as analyzing and posting date, training students and journalists and creating an endowment . Moreover, unlike mainstream media, which more often than not, continues to utilize print versions, most nonprofit news outlets are digital-born . They can, therefore, focus all their resources on hiring technicians or reporters with greater expertise in digital media . Many are utilizing social media , which, consequently,

741-766: The centers had formal arrangements with revenue exchanged, whilst in other cases, collaboration was on a story-by-story basis and did not include revenue, but only a sharing of resources and expenses. For example, ProPublica won a 2010 Pulitzer Prize in collaboration with The New York Times for an investigative report on one hospital’s emergency response to treating flood victims of Hurricane Katrina . The Center for Investigative Reporting also produces print and broadcast reports under contractual agreements with public and commercial media outlets. Many mainstream media outlets have found themselves in need for such collaborations due to their financial struggles. Smaller for-profit outlets have been able to use reporting provided free through

780-515: The environment, the more conservative Watchdog.org , meanwhile, focused on government policies and their inefficiency and waste. Examples of sites with the most balanced coverage included ProPublica and The Texas Tribune , which were also among the most visited in the sample. David Westphal in 2009 expressed support for foundation-funded journalism, but worried that many of the news organizations report based on their funder’s interest areas. Moreover, Robert Arnove and Nadine Pinede (2007) undertook

819-499: The executive editor of CJR since 2003, said the magazine's income in 2007 would exceed expenses by about $ 50,000, with estimates of a $ 40,000 surplus in 2008. Hoyt attributed the surpluses to a mix of some staff cuts, such as not replacing three editors who left, and fundraising increases. Donations to the CJR in the past three years have included about $ 1.25 million from a group of news veterans headed by former Philadelphia Inquirer executive editor Gene Roberts . As of mid-2007,

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858-430: The information presented is reliable. Harry Browne finds that the removal of direct commercial pressures could allow reporters more time to work on a story, by freeing them to pursue less-popular topics and by reducing the likelihood of pressure from an owner or advertiser. Browne also notes that if philanthrojournalism seeks to remain transparent by constantly informing the public about its ultimate source of subsidy and

897-431: The lead over mainstream media in terms of digital innovation, as they can focus on their resources on doing so. Moreover, Nee argues that the narrow investigative scope of nonprofit news outlets allows them to not waste their resources on a daily journalism agenda. Columbia Journalism Review The Columbia Journalism Review ( CJR ) is a biannual magazine for professional journalists that has been published by

936-475: The liberal group the Hopewell Fund as an incubator until 2019 when States Newsroom became an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit. In July 2019, States Newsroom had 13 outlets, nine of which were in swing states . States Newsroom's commentary and opinion pieces are clearly-labeled and generally lean left. The organization does not allow opinion pieces from candidates or political officeholders. Many, but not all, of

975-641: The national operation. At a November 2020 press conference, Missouri Governor Mike Parson refused to take a question from a Missouri Independent reporter, saying "I am not going to respond to a c4 (nonprofit) out of Virginia that is absolutely a propaganda news agency." According to PolitiFact , the Missouri Independent is a legitimate news organization, a 501(c)(3), and "not a website peddling hoaxes." Nonprofit journalism The term philanthrojournalism has appeared in British sources and emphasizes

1014-622: The nationwide Stateline newsroom. In the other 11 states, States Newsroom syndicates content from independent nonprofit newsrooms such as CalMatters , CT Mirror , Honolulu Civil Beat , Mississippi Today , New York Focus , and the Texas Tribune . In May 2024, editor Brian Lyman of the States Newsroom's outlet in Alabama, the Alabama Reflector , was selected as a finalist for

1053-591: The newsrooms as "hyperpartisan" in a map. In 2023, Nieman noted the experience of the journalists and in 2024 called NewsGuard's depiction of States Newsroom "misguided." In April 2024, Cameron Joseph wrote in the Columbia Journalism Review that the outlets "are nothing like the 'pink slime' organizations that pass off partisan propaganda as local news. Many of the journalists running the local newsrooms... had previously been at major state newspapers" and that reporters and editors were largely autonomous from

1092-629: The nonprofit model. A 2009 American University study revealed that foundations had contributed to approximately $ 128 million to community and investigative reporting nonprofits between 2005 and 2009. Investigative journalism in particular has been described as being a difficult proposition for for-profit organizations, but can thrive when supported by foundations and donors. The defunct Canadian Centre for Investigative Reporting (CCIR) relied heavily on individual donations, which averaged $ 100 to $ 200 and made up 30 to 50 percent of its revenue. The former executive director of CCIR, Bilbo Poynter, argued that

1131-410: The organization's larger donors also lean left. States Newsroom did not disclose its donors until 2020, when it started disclosing the names of all donors giving more than $ 1,000 since becoming a 501(c)(3) in 2019. In August 2020, Inside Philanthropy reported that Google was one of the funders of States Newsroom. States Newsroom provides funding, human resources, and digital support to journalists in

1170-429: The organizations studied, 56% were labelled as ideologically skewed. Likewise, the most ideologically skewed organizations tended to be funded mostly or entirely by one parent organization. More often than not the topics covered on these sites correlated with the political orientation of their donors. For example, while the liberal-oriented American Independent News Network sites favored discussions of organized labor and

1209-423: The partisanship of States Newsroom's journalism. In January 2020, Steven Brill of NewsGuard asked States Newsroom to reveal their donors—which the organization did later that year. But in 2021 after accepting a $ 1 million donation from the progressive Wyss Foundation, NewsGuard said their journalism was "bought by people with a political agenda". A June 2024 NewsGuard study continued to categorize State Newsroom as

States Newsroom - Misplaced Pages Continue

1248-432: The politically progressive The Nation . According to Executive Editor Michael Hoyt, Navasky's role is "99% financial" and "he doesn't push anything editorially." Hoyt also has stated that Navasky has "learned how to get a small magazine of ideas into the black, and he's trying to come up with some strategies for us." CJR is a nonprofit entity and relies on fundraising to fund its operations. In August 2007, Mike Hoyt,

1287-446: The role of foundations. Public service media is a related term that has referred to organizations that receive government funding, starting with radio in the 1920s, and projects like Misplaced Pages. American nonprofit journalism organizations have also been described under the banner of nonprofit news . Foundation-funded journalism and think tank journalism are less common terms. Although nonprofit journalism dates back to

1326-693: The same area. State-oriented centers such as the Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism and New England Center for Investigative Reporting have garnered success and been suggested as viable alternatives to the nationwide news outlets. Likewise, there are an increasing number of local-level investigative centers, in places such as Baltimore and Texas, making their narrow-focus even more relatable to local readers. The distinct business model distinguishes philanthrojournalism from other types of journalism. As mainstream media has struggled in terms of revenue, nonprofit journalists have turned increasingly to

1365-672: The start of the Associated Press in 1846, the first group dedicated to investigative journalism was the Center for Investigative Reporting (CIR), which formed in 1977. Moreover, journalist Charles Lewis founded the Center for Public Integrity in 1989. Since then, many other nonprofits have proliferated firstly in the United States, and then, elsewhere in the world. Due to their alternative funding models, many of these organizations have contributed deeply to investigative journalism. For example, ProPublica won Pulitzer prizes within

1404-407: The state newsrooms. It typically has 4-6 journalists per newsroom and allows its articles to be republished for free under a creative commons license . States Newsroom accepts no corporate donations and has publicly shared the names of all donors contributing $ 1,000 or more since becoming a 501(c)(3) in 2019. The progressive Wyss Foundation gave $ 1 million to States Newsroom in 2020. In 2023,

1443-512: The work of its donors , and if it also seeks to do so in a democratic manner, philanthrojournalism could achieve more editorial independence. ProPublica, as well as many other nonprofit centers have published details of their funding revenues, the salaries of their reporters and the ideological perspectives of their donors. The Institute for Nonprofit News , a member-driven industry network, requires full members to provide public transparency into their funding. Between May 2010 and September 2011,

1482-523: Was announced as the new editor and publisher of CJR , replacing Elizabeth Spayd , when she was announced as the sixth public editor of The New York Times . On 24 July 2017, in Washington, D.C. , Pope addressed the House Judiciary Committee bipartisan Forum on Press Freedoms regarding concerns that the actions of Donald Trump during his campaign for and following election as President of

1521-436: Was announced that the publishing frequency of the print magazine was being reduced from six to two issues per year in order to focus on its digital operations . The current chairman is Stephen J. Adler , previously editor-in-chief at Reuters from 2011 to 2021. The previous chairman of the magazine was Victor Navasky , a professor at the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism and former editor and publisher of

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