Dear Reader,
Corporate media outlets keep making headlines of their own lately. With speculation swirling around how business decisions affect nightly programming, the question isn’t just who reports the news — but who decides what gets seen 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 newsroom. At ProPublica, our editorial decisions are never influenced by corporate interests. We have no owners or shareholders, no government funding and no regulators to appease. We get our funding through donations. (More than 80,000 individuals have made a donation in the past 12 months!) For us, journalism is a public service. And we marshal every resource to provide it. No one outside our newsroom, 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 — 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 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 rather than shareholders, sponsors or political interests. ProPublica exists because readers like you choose to fund it. Your donation ensures that the truth gets out, no matter who it challenges. Join us today with a donation of any amount and help keep investigative journalism strong, independent and accountable only to the public.
Thanks so much,
Robin Sparkman
Proud ProPublican
