Journalism: New Non-Profit Investigative News Organization

From Bloggers Blog: Blogging the Blogsphere

ProPublica is a new non-profit news organization focusing on investigative journalism (hat tip Boing Boing). They will employ 24 fulltime reporters and editors. Paul E. Steiger - the former managing editor of The Wall Street Journal - will serve as both president and editor-in-chief of ProPublica.

ProPublica, when fully staffed in 2008, will include 24 fulltime reporters and editors, the largest staff in American journalism devoted solely to investigative reporting. ProPublica will be supported entirely by philanthropy and will provide the articles it produces, free of charge, both through its own Web site and to leading news organizations selected with an eye toward maximizing the impact of each article.

Commenting on the new organization Mr. Steiger said, "ProPublica will focus exclusively on journalism that shines a light on exploitation of the weak by the strong and on the failures of those with power to vindicate the trust placed in them. We will be non-partisan and non-ideological, adhering to the strictest standards of journalistic impartiality and fairness." He continued, "We will look hard at the critical functions of business and of government, the two biggest centers of power. But we will also focus on such institutions as unions, universities, hospitals, foundations and the media when they appear to be exploiting or oppressing those weaker than they, or when there is evidence that they are abusing the public trust."

You can read the full news release here. ProPublica says they are launching now because they fill investigative journalism is being squeezed out of reporting. ProPublica's newsroom will be located in Manhattan. Their news team will include a blogger, webmaster and a computer-assisted reporting specialist.