CJR: Nonprofits 'moving from the margin'

By: Meera Pal

Posted: May 13, 2010 | Tags: Columbia Journalism Review, journalism-ecosystem, National Press Club

Some predict commercial media will give up altogether on pricey investigative reporting and that nonprofits will continue to take a more prominent role in journalism.

Workshop Executive Editor Charles Lewis, who has founded four nonprofit journalism organizations, will be on a panel Monday at the National Press Club speaking about how to excel in this new media landscape.

He is quoted in the most recent recent issue of the Columbia Journalism Review about what he refers to as the "emerging ecosystem of investigative reporting."

The CJR piece, by reporter Jill Drew, looks at how nonprofit journalism is breaking new ground with groups like California Watch and ProPublica.

Drew writes that while nonprofit journalism has been around since the Center for Investigative Reporting launched in 1977 and the Center for Public Integrity in 1989, "What is new is that nonprofit centers have moved from the margin."

Poynter Online reporter Jim Romenesko also took note of Drew's piece, highlighting a quote from Nick Penniman, co-founder of The Huffington Post Investigative Fund: "Prediction: 'Investigative reporting is going to die in corporate settings.'"

(As an aside: We have jointly published several stories with The Huffington Post Investigative Fund in the past year.)

If you're interested in learning more about the new media landscape, stop by the National Press Club and listen to Lewis speak 9 a.m., Monday, along with ProPublica Managing Editor Stephen Engleberg and PolitiFact Editor Bill Adair.

There is no charge to attend, but you must reserve a spot by e-mailing: nnottingham@press.org.

I will also be live tweeting from the event. You can follow us @IRWorkshop.

 

 




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