Five years ago, American Public Media created APM Reports, committing to investigative journalism at a critical time. Newsroom staffs nationwide were being cut, diminishing the ability of media organizations to do investigative journalism, a critical piece of a functional democracy. At the same time a new president took office who attacked the press and dismissed the truth.
Since then, APM Reports has been making a difference. Our first investigation –published in May 2016– exposed violence and negligence at a “troubled teen” facility in northern Minnesota. Seventeen days after the first story, the owner was forced to close the operation because children were being removed from the facility because of the revelations.
A few months later, we launched In the Dark, our investigative podcast. Its first season, our journalists exposed a botched investigation that led to years of pain and worry for the family of an abducted child, surrounding communities and millions of families across the country. The show’s second season was central to freeing a Mississippi man from death row (above). In both seasons, the truth would never have been told without our reporting. The podcast has generated more than 85 million downloads.
In the past five years, the journalism of APM Reports has also:
Changed housing policy in Atlanta
Triggered a moratorium on water shutoffs in Chicago
Revealed the lack of training for peace officers in de-escalation tactics
Led to reform of voting rules in Georgia
Prompted nationwide debate about reading instruction
Our journalism is having an impact, which was our aim when we started. And you can be a critical part of that.
Our reporting projects aim high: the journalism must have the potential to break new ground and lead to substantive change. Our stories typically focus on holding powerful people or organizations to account in the public interest.
We remain dedicated to this mission, and you have been a pivotal part of it.
