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With a foreword from Michael Schudson, The Rise of Nonprofit Investigative Journalism in the United States examines the rapid growth, impact and sustainability of not-for-profit investigative reporting and its impact on US democracy and mainstream journalism.
The book addresses key questions about the sustainability of foundation funding, the agendas of foundations, and the ethical issues that arise from philanthropically funded journalism. It provides a theoretical framework that enables readers to recognize connections and relationships that the nonprofit accountability journalism sector has with the economic, political and mainstream media fields in the United States.
As battered news media struggled to survive the financial crisis of 2007-2009, dozens of investigative and public service reporting startups funded by foundations, billionaires and everyday citizens were launched to scrutinize local, state and national issues. Foundations, donors and many journalists believed there was a crisis for investigative journalism and democracy in the United States. This book challenges this and argues that legacy editors acted to quarantine their investigative teams from newsroom cuts. It also demonstrates how nonprofit journalism transformed aspects of journalistic practice. Through detailed research and practical discussion, it provides a comprehensive study of this increasingly important genre of journalism.
The Rise of Nonprofit Investigative Journalism in the United States is an important text for academics and students of journalism, communications theory, media and democracy-related units, as well as journalists worldwide.
List of contents
Foreword (Michael Schudson)
Chapter 1. Introduction: the changing face of watchdog journalism
Chapter 2. New collaborations: a mutual benefit
Chapter 3. Crashing through the firewall
Chapter 4. Saving journalism and democracy during the financial crisis
Chapter 5. Funding nonprofit accountability journalism
Chapter 6. Secondary factors promoting the creation of nonprofit accountability news centers
Chapter 7. Case studies of four national nonprofit investigative reporting centers
Chapter 8. On the ground with smaller nonprofit news organizations
Chapter 9. Ethical issues in foundation funding of journalism
Chapter 10. Flash in the pan or a sustainable business model?
About the author
Bill Birnbauer is an award-winning journalist and academic. He is a long-standing member of the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists and is an Honorary Senior Lecturer in Journalism at Monash University, Australia. He was a metropolitan newspaper reporter and editor for three decades, has coproduced documentaries for public television and has written academic book chapters and journal articles as well as two other books.
Summary
This book examines the growth, impact and sustainability of not-for-profit investigative reporting and its impact on US democracy. It addresses key questions of the sustainability of foundation funding, the agendas of foundations, and the independence of philanthropically funded journalism.
