Hi Reader,

It’s no secret that journalism is in financial trouble. Newsrooms all across the country are downsizing, even closing, leaving “news deserts” in their wake. The economic crisis brought on by the pandemic served to hasten even more closures over the last few years. Deep-dive, investigative reporting is time-consuming and expensive. Even though this kind of journalism is one of the most powerful tools we have to ensure a transparent democracy, it’s often among the first to be cut from the budget when newsrooms struggle to stay afloat.

But ProPublica is different, thanks to readers like you. As a nonprofit newsroom, we don’t depend on advertising or short-term investors. We rely largely on donations from individuals, and over the last few years, we’ve grown significantly. We’re able to help fill undeniable gaps in deep-dive journalism coverage that’s left open all over the country.

From Missouri funneling millions of state tax dollars into anti-abortion groups, to Atlantic City casinos winning a huge tax break from the New Jersey legislature even though they’ve already rebounded from the pandemic, to the Texas laws that allow 18-year-olds to buy AR-15s but not handguns, we’re digging deep into issues that affect readers where they live and beyond. We’ve recently expanded our Illinois newsroom to cover the whole Midwest, and we launched two new offices based in the South and Southwest. Our Local Reporting Network, which partners with newsrooms all over the country, is still going strong, as is our collaboration with the Texas Tribune. All of this, and more, is thanks to the generous support of tens of thousands of steadfast donors.

As a reader of ProPublica, you know how important it is for journalists to have the freedom, resources and ability to pursue stories that shine a light on corruption, miscarriages of justice and other wrongdoing. I’m asking you to join us today with your donation of any amount and help power the largest team of investigative journalists in the country, digging into issues from across this vast country.

Thanks so much,
Jill Shepherd
Proud ProPublican