Hi Reader,
A lot of attention is being paid to how money and power shape American newsrooms these days. With billionaires buying up major media outlets, Congress rescinding funding for public media and speculation swirling around how a major corporate merger is impacting programming like “60 Minutes” or “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert,” the question isn’t just who reports the news — but who exerts influence over what gets published at all. Given the renewed interest in the owners of major media outlets, I want to take the opportunity to explain who owns ProPublica (spoiler: no one).
We are an independent, nonprofit organization. At ProPublica, our editorial decisions are never influenced by corporate interests or the pursuit of mergers. And we do not receive government funding and therefore don’t need to worry that it could be reduced or withdrawn. We have no owners or shareholders, no corporate interests and no government contracts. We get our funding through donations (more than 80,000 individuals have made a donation in the past 12 months!). We marshal every resource to provide an independent verifiable account of what’s happening. No one, including our board or our donors, knows what stories we’re working on until they are published.
ProPublica’s independence means we can investigate the most powerful forces in the country — whether in government, business or the courts — without fear or favor. For nearly two decades, we have exposed abuses of power and betrayals of the public trust, and we have seen how those facts inspire action and reform. Our work digging into the unreported luxury vacations and gifts given to Supreme Court justices ultimately led to the adoption of a code of ethics for the nation’s highest court. A long-running investigation, “The Secret IRS Files,” detailed how our country’s wealthiest individuals avoid paying income taxes entirely. After our “Life of the Mother” series revealed the fatal consequences of abortion bans, lawmakers filed more than a dozen bills to expand abortion access in at least seven states. And just last week, Microsoft said it stopped using China-based engineers to support the Defense Department’s cloud computing systems after a ProPublica investigation found the practice could expose sensitive government data to hacking and espionage. Our newsroom is committed to producing nonpartisan investigative journalism in the public interest, to connecting the dots in what may feel like chaos and to telling stories with depth, clarity and focus so readers know not just what happened but why it matters.
As a reader of ProPublica, I know you value fearless, independent journalism that serves the public and not shareholders, sponsors or political interests. Today, I’m asking you to support this kind of journalism with a donation. ProPublica exists because readers like you choose to fund it. Your donation ensures that the truth gets out, no matter who it challenges. Join the thousands who make this work possible and make a gift today.
Help keep investigative journalism strong, independent and accountable only to the truth.
Thanks again,
Robin Sparkman
President, ProPublica
