Non-profit investigative reporting in American journalism, 2007-2015

This research explores the factors that led to a rapid rise in the number of non-profit investigative and public interest news organisations created in the United States between 2007 and 2015. It examines the reasons foundations and philanthropists funded this form of journalism, its sustainability and ethical issues. It finds that aspects of traditional journalistic practice have been transformed by non-profit reporting centres due to their collaborations with legacy media. As serious journalism in mainstream media diminished due to thousands of journalists losing their jobs, non-profit journalism centres enhanced democratic processes – it is important to understand how this occurred and whether it is sustainable.