COLUMBIA, MO – The annnual conference for investigative reporters and editors in the US is a good indicator for the general mood among colleagues ‘over there’. And the mood this year was great. Not only were there plenty of good stories, but even more importantly: There was also an entire movement of ideas on how to fund investigative journalism.
Large, old-venerable newspapers in the United States died one by one as the economic crisis and other factors co-incided this past year. Rumors buzz, that even this one or another of the big, national media my collaps in the months to come. On regional level colleagues are paralysed: Will my newspaper be closed or the competitor?
However at the annual conference of the Investigative Reporters and Editors the mood was optimistic rather than grave.
The about 850 participants was a number well above all expectations. Rather than resignating, colleagues were working hard and enthusiastically. The panels presented either good and inspiring stories or various attempts of alternative financing of research journalism.
Most important for the mood was maybe the movement of new state centers for investigative journalism. Connected to universities or independently, laid-off colleagues start new initiatives so that quality journalism should not vanish in their part of the States, just because their newspaper closed. Next step will be a meeting at the end of June, were the emerging centers intend to link up in a network.
But also other two other significant initiatives were presented:
Non-profit journalism will reach a larger target-group, as Associated Press announced a pilot-project of distributing alternatively funded stories via the AP wire.
And the Knight Foundation provides 15 million U.S. dollars to finance the development of alternative investigative journalism.
And then, of course, there are all the existing alternatively funded research iniatives, that also were present at the IRE conference:
- Pro Publica - founded in 2007
- Huffington Post – is establishing a department for research and journalism
- The Center for Public Integrity - founded in 1989 - based in Washington - and its International Consortium of Investigative Journalists
- The Center for Investigative Reporting - founded in 1977 - based in California
Written by Brigitte Alfter