Non-Profit Watchdog News: What's Working?

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Community Media Innovation ProjectFall 2011

wwNON-PROFIT WATCHDOG

NEWS: WHAT’S WORKING?



NON-PROFIT WATCHDOG NEWS:

WHAT’S WORKING?Medill Community Media Innovation Project Fall 2011

By Diana Novak and Brian Warmoth,incorporating research and interviews by

Helen Adamopoulos, Patricia Hastings, Priscilla Kunamalla,Donald Sjoerdsma and Robert Wile



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Table of contents

Introduction ............................................................................................................................ 3 Models for online watchdogs ................................................................................................. 4 Sources of financial support .................................................................................................. 5 Eight lessons from non-profit watchdogs ............................................................................... 7 Watchdog profiles ................................................................................................................ 14



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Introduction

As changes in technology and audience behavior disrupt the business models supporting localnews media, some of the most dramatic results have appeared in locally focused watchdogreporting. Newspapers, which historically produced the most original reporting about local

government and civic affairs, have been forced by declines in print revenue to reduce theirreporting staffs – though many have tried to maintain a commitment to original investigativereporting. Meanwhile, new online publications – many of them supported through donations andfoundation grants – are seeking to take advantage of the growth of Web audiences and the lowercost of online distribution.

The Fall 2011 Community Media Innovation Project class at the Medill School has focused onlocal “watchdog” reporting as part of its work examining the digital strategy of the ChicagoReporter. The Chicago Reporter, an investigative magazine focused on issues of race andpoverty in Chicago, is over 40 years old and adapting slowly to the growing dominance of digitalcontent consumption.

Through examination of comparable sites in other communities, we sought to inform ourrecommendations for the Reporter. We also learned a lot about what is working for localwatchdog sites. This report summarizes what we found.



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Models for online watchdogs

The shrinking of traditional media in local markets, combined with the low cost of publishingand distribution associated with the World Wide Web, has created a void that in somecommunities is being filled by non-profit watchdog journalism organizations. All of these

publications state in their missions that they intend to improve the quality of journalism andcoverage available in their communities. While they have some common traits (for instance,they often are led by journalists who worked for newspapers in the same market), they havedifferent strategies and business models. We think they can be generally grouped into threecategories:

Broad-based news websites

Partnership-based investigators

Print-first publishers

Broad-based news websites

These organizations attempt to cover a wide range of local news, not just investigative projects.Their websites include breaking news, columnist-bloggers and coverage of issues beyondgovernment and civic affairs. Examples include the Bay Citizen in San Francisco, the TexasTribune, MinnPost.com, the St. Louis Beacon and the Chicago News Cooperative.

Some of these organizations have partners to distribute the content they produce. The BayCitizen, for instance, has 25 media partners in the Bay Area and sells content to the New York Times. The Texas Tribune and the Chicago News Cooperative also provide content to the Times.The St. Louis Beacon and MinnPost host all their own content, by contrast, and have no formal,ongoing relationships with outside publishers.

Partnership-based investigators

These organizations concentrate on investigative reporting and focus primarily on distributingcontent through partners. While they maintain websites, they aren’t seeking to build the sitesinto businesses. Instead, the sites serve as content archives and promotional vehicles, and theirleaders assume most readers will encounter the content through their publishing partners.Examples include the Better Government Association in Chicago, the Wisconsin Center forInvestigative Journalism (WisconsinWatch), the Rocky Mountain Investigative News Network (inewsnetwork.org) and the Watchdog/Accountability Initiative established recently atNorthwestern’s Medill School. In our research, we focused especially on the Wisconsin Centerfor Investigative Journalism, which freely gives away all of its content – text, data and photos –to any news outlet as long as the center is properly credited.

Print-first publishers

A few publications around the country have produced local watchdog reporting for decades, distributedinitially through limited-circulation magazines and now also through websites. Examples include theChicago Reporter, the Texas Observer and City Limits in New York. All three publish their own contentin a magazine and online, and are supported by a non-profit organization that advocates for social justice.



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Sources of financial support

All of the organizations examined here rely heavily on foundation grants and gifts from largedonors.

The St. Louis Beacon began in 2007 with a $500,000 grant from Emily Pulitzer, the wife of thelate Joseph Pulitzer, along with a $200,000 donation from William Danforth, chancellor emeritusof Washington University.1 Margaret Freivogel, the founder and editor of the Beacon, said thefounders’ decision to establish a non-profit organization had everything to do with the future of in-depth reporting.

“The main point was to figure out a business model that could sustain good journalism,”Freivogel said.

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Similarly, the Bay Citizen was launched with a $5 million donation from the Hellman FamilyFoundation after private equity investor F. Warren Hellman convened an advisory team to

examine the lack of quality reporting in the Bay Area.3

The Texas Tribune raised two-thirds of its first $2.3 million from donors giving $5,000 or moreduring a pre-launch campaign.4 By building on a strong group of individual donors, the Tribunewas able to rely less on foundation funding than the other nonprofit sites. The Tribune has sinceexpanded small donations, site sponsorship and special events and special publications.5

Recently launched news outlets using the partnership model also started with a foundation-basedfunding strategy. The Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism launched its site,WisconsinWatch.org, with a $100,000 grant from the Ethics and Excellence in JournalismFoundation.6 In its first year, the Center also received almost $70,000 in donations from other

organizations and foundations.7

The Rocky Mountain Investigative News Network takesdonations, but its major funding comes from many of the same foundations that WisconsinWatch relies on: the Ethics and Excellence in Journalism Foundation and McCormick Foundation, among others.

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1 Freivogel, Margaret. Telephone Interview by Helen Adamopoulos . 29 Sep. 2011.2 Freivogel, Margaret. Telephone Interview by Helen Adamopoulos . 29 Sep. 2011.3 "History of the Bay Citizen." The Bay Citizen. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Oct 2011.

<http://www.baycitizen.org/about/history/>.4

McLellan, Michele. "Getting Local: How Non-profit News Ventures Seek Sustainability." Miami,Knight Foundation. 2011. 15. Print.5 McLellan, Michele. "Getting Local: How Non-profit News Ventures Seek Sustainability." Miami,

Knight Foundation. 2011. 19. Print.6 Hall, Andy. "Follow-up for Northwestern Interview." Message to Diana Novak. 10 Oct 2011. E-mail. 7 Hall, Andy. "Follow-up for Northwestern Interview." Message to Diana Novak. 10 Oct 2011. E-mail.8 "I-News Funding." Rocky Mountain Investigative News Network . N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Oct 2011.

<http://www.inewsnetwork.org/about/i-news-funding/>.



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“Through a nonprofit model, we're able to attract philanthropic contributions to support theCenter's work, while also developing earned income and other revenue streams,” said executivedirector Andy Hall. “As we all know, the for-profit model increasingly struggles to support time-consuming, labor-intensive investigative journalism.” Hall cites the nonprofit model’scollaboration options with other nonprofit organizations and its independent governance as

additional benefits.

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The Chicago Reporter and the Texas Observer were each started by community organizers whofelt the mainstream news outlets failed to cover issues of race and class. Both rely heavily onfoundation grants, though they also raise money through individual donations.

9 Hall, Andy. "Follow-up for Northwestern Interview." Message to Diana Novak. 10 Oct 2011. E-mail.



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Eight lessons from non-profit watchdogs

A recent report from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation ("Getting Local: How Non-profit News Ventures Seek Sustainability”) suggests that there are three pillars a successful non-profit news site must build: social value, economic value and organizational capacity. By

fostering social value, a news site interacts with its audience and can measure the impact of itsreporting. A site’s economic value is linked to its sustainability and diversity of revenue streams,and its organizational capacity is an evaluation of the site’s infrastructure and administration.Here are eight lessons from the experience of the non-profit watchdogs we examined.

1. Build audience connections – and revenue – through events

While pushing ahead to stay relevant and grow readership online, sites such as the St. LouisBeacon and Texas Tribune have not lost sight of the oldest form of audience engagement—thekind that takes place during face-to-face meetings and town hall gatherings.

The Beacon uses events to both fundraise and improve audience engagement. The Beacon’sonce-yearly gala earns funding, while regular breakfast and evening barroom meet-upsencourage active discussions among its readers. A monthly Beacon & Eggs gathering invitescitizens to come together and engage in civil debates about local issues.10

The event efforts have paid off, too—to the tune of $143,000 and 6 percent of the Beacon’s totalrevenue in 2010.11

The Texas Tribune treats its annual cocktail event as a perk, which is offered to donors whodonate at least $250 per year. Those in attendance are given the exclusive chance to meet andtalk with Tribune reporters. The strategy is part of the Tribune’s larger donor outreach goals,

which produced a 61 percent jump in membership from 2010 to 2011. Additionally, eventsbrought in $175,000 or 10 percent of the Tribune’s revenue in 2010.12 In 2011, the Tribune alsohosted its first Texas Tribune Festival, a meeting of national and state experts on Texas issues,and expected almost $500,000 in revenue from ticket sales.13

MinnPost, which broke even for the first time in 2010, relies heavily on an event calledMinnRoast to raise money and awareness about the site.14 The event, which includes a cocktailreception, silent auction, raffle and a “roast” of local media and political figures, has been a

10 Freivogel, Margaret. Telephone Interview by Helen Adamopoulos . 29 Sep. 2011.11

McLellan, Michele. "Getting Local: How Non-profit News Ventures Seek Sustainability." Miami,Knight Foundation. 2011. 20. Print. 12 McLellan, Michele. "Getting Local: How Non-profit News Ventures Seek Sustainability." Miami,

Knight Foundation. 2011. 18-20. Print.13 McLellan, Michele. "Getting Local: How Non-profit News Ventures Seek Sustainability." Miami,

Knight Foundation. 2011. 18-20. Print.14 Buoen, Albright. "2010 Year End Report." MinnPost . MinnPost, n.d. Web. 26 Oct 2011.

<http://www.minnpost.com/about/>.



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major feature of MinnPost’s fundraising efforts since the site started in 2009. MinnPost reportedthat the revenue raised from the 2010 MinnRoast totaled $93,000.15

2. Devote attention to managing user comments

Debates in virtual forums can sometimes get as heated – if not more so – than those going onoffline. In order to foster discussion, publishers need to monitor who is commenting and bereceptive to their audiences’ feedback. When those responses appear in comment threads hostedalongside news stories, sites need to have a clear game plan for managing comments withoutalienating audience members.

Most sites we examined require some kind of log-in or identification, but few require emailconfirmation to tie comments to identifiable – and reachable – people. On a sidebar thataccompanies all pages, MinnPost tells its audience up front that they will be required to registerto comment because the publication “intend[s] for this area to be used by our readers as a placefor civil, thought-provoking and high-quality discussion.” To view comments and join in, readersmust provide a first and last name and an email address that MinnPost can confirm. Theregistration system has positive results – many articles, even on sensitive topics, have numerousthoughtful and informative comments.

The Bay Citizen fosters discussion in a way that few other sites do by having its reporters jointhe discussion in the comments. In an article about the transformation of the San FranciscoChronicle building, a reader asks Bay Citizen reporter Gerry Shih in the comments if he knowswhether the building is included in a payroll tax-free zone designed to stimulate hiring in SanFrancisco. The information didn’t make it into the article, but Shih writes that he did check thebuilding’s tax status and it was likely not within the boundaries of the exemption. By answeringreaders’ questions with information from his reporting, Shih proved his commitment to the topicand to his audience. Tellingly, the Bay Citizen has a number of regular commenters that visit and join the discussion almost daily.

Of all of the news sites we examined, Texas Tribune has among the highest numbers of comments, particularly from people who have used their Facebook accounts to participate. TheTribune posts links to its stories on its Facebook page, and comments there are automaticallyrepublished under the article on the Tribune site. The Facebook comments are woven togetherwith the comments made by registered users on the Texas Tribune site itself – an unusualapproach that has enriched the commenting on TexasTribune.org.

3. Go beyond just publishing articles to meet your audience’s needs

Remaining open-minded about publishing capabilities and opportunities can mean reachingreaders in new ways, as well as grabbing new sources of revenue.

The Bay Citizen, for example, created a Bicycle Accident Tracker, which caters to the region’scycling community.16 The web-based app uses maps, charts and data to provide an interactive

15 McLellan, Michele. "Getting Local: How Non-profit News Ventures Seek Sustainability." Miami,

Knight Foundation. 2011. 18-20. Print.



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resource for anyone looking to find information about bicycle accidents in the Bay Area. Usersare invited to share the information they find on Twitter and Facebook.

The Texas Tribune has found new ways to publish its content and monetize unique readershipsegments. The Tribune identified a market for its subscription-based Texas Weekly newsletter,

for instance, which reports on state politics and government; those subscriptions accounted for$175,000 in 2010.17

The Tribune has also developed a version of the social media trivia game Qrank for its readersusing content taken from the Tribune’s site. The free game allows you to play against friends onan iPhone, on Facebook or through the Texas Tribune website in a series of questions aboutcurrent events and news. By providing the game, the Tribune is engaging younger, tech-savvyreaders and giving them an easy way to use the news the site provides.

4. Reach out to readers for story ideas and content

Reaching out to readers for news and site material is a key way to show them that they matterbeyond just how much they donate. Many of the sites we looked at use forums or submissions tointeract with their audiences and gather story ideas.

The Rocky Mountain News Network and the St. Louis Beacon both use American PublicMedia’s Public Insight Network to turn readers into sources, providing a real opportunity foraudience members to tell their stories in an appropriate forum. Readers of the Rocky MountainNews Network are asked to sign up to receive a once-monthly email asking for their experienceswith and insight on a particular issue, and then reporters will reach out to the sources theyidentify as most useful. The portion of the Rocky Mountain website that promotes the PublicInsight Network encourages readers to add “context, depth, humanity and relevance” to theirreporting, a tempting opportunity for someone who cares about a specific issue to put their

expertise to use. The St. Louis Beacon promotes the Public Insight Network at the top of itshomepage, currently asking readers to help plan the site’s upcoming election coverage.

The Voice of San Diego puts particular emphasis on contributions from its audience, fromsoliciting comments by asking readers to “log in to add their voice” to the Your Voice section of the site, which is home to a significant amount of user-generated content. The People’s Post, forexample, is a collection of blogs run by Voice of San Diego readers that are published on themain website. Fix San Diego, also in the Your Voice section, asks for readers’ ideas about howto fix the city’s problems.

Vermont Digger launched its tip network, Tipster, in the summer of 2011. Tipster is a

community for Digger readers to submit story ideas, either anonymously, openly or secretly to aforum that the editors will examine for content. People become Tipster members, and can

16 McLellan, Michele. "Getting Local: How Nonprofit News Ventures Seek Sustainability." Miami, FL,

Knight Foundation. 2011. 11. Print.17 McLellan, Michele. "Getting Local: How Non-profit News Ventures Seek Sustainability." Miami,

Knight Foundation. 2011. 21. Print.



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interact with other members, join topic groups and respond to requests from reporters forinformation and interest.

5. Plan editorial strategy based on the resources available

Non-profit news sites need to set realistic goals. Building an audience around a successful newssite requires loyalty, and that loyalty has to be earned through consistency and kept promises.

The broad-based coverage provided by the Bay Citizen is expensive, but the organization has thefunding necessary to make it possible. In response, the site has received a lot of positivefeedback from its audience. Interim Editor-in-Chief Steve Fainaru says the longer investigationsare what the Citizen’s audience appreciates the most, but it’s clear that the site’s regular postingof breaking news is what makes them competitive. That’s not coverage that can be foundelsewhere, though: “We want to be a daily news site, we want people to come every day, but wedon’t want to compete with the newspapers,” Fainaru said.18 In its current incarnation, thismeans spot news coverage with longer investigative pieces, though Fainaru said that the BayCitizen is planning a redesign of its editorial strategy.

Comparatively, the Chicago News Cooperative planned a bolder strategy than the organizationcould afford. According to David Greising, the Co-op’s managing editor, the site was meant tohave a regular audience visiting the site on a daily basis. Although the Chicago News Co-op putsout a daily e-newsletter, its website doesn’t post updated content more than once or twice a day.“We haven’t raised resources we’d hoped we would,” Greising said. “We thought we’d beputting more content up on daily basis. We expected our user to be a daily user, we thought we’dkind of help people develop a habit of visiting the website.”

The organization has been able to reach a wider audience through the New York Times, whichhas given the company both revenue for the short term and brand cachet. However, the focus onproducing content for the Times has taken more time and resources than expected, Greisingsaid.19

6. Extend reach through partnerships with other media

None of the sites examined here has the large and loyal audience that a more establishednewspaper would generate. For that reason, most of the sites have pursued distributionpartnerships with other publishers.

While publishing all of its content on its website, the Bay Citizen has formed partnerships with25 other local news providers. The Bay Citizen, Chicago News Cooperative and the Texas

Tribune publish content in local editions of the New York Times.

The partnership model used by sites such as Wisconsin Watch and the Rocky MountainInvestigative News Network relies on multiple outside publishers. Wisconsin Watch largelyrelies on the reporting of students at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and gives away its

18 Fainaru, Steve. Telephone Interview by Diana Novak. 24 September 2011.19 Greising, David. Personal Interview by Rob Wile. 26 Sep 2011



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content freely to other publishers. Wisconsin Watch keeps track of who takes it, and asks onlythat any potential publisher give them credit.

Andy Hall at Wisconsin Watch said that impact can be measured both by the direct effects of thereporting they do and the number of people they reach. Hall estimates since July 2009,

Wisconsin Watch’s 35 investigations have been republished in publications with a totalreadership of 17 million people. This far exceeds the number of people seeing the stories atWisconsinWatch.org; Hall says that for a recent month, the site had just 17,000 visitors.20

7. Track the distribution and impact of the journalism

Keeping track of results from investigations and reporting is perhaps the most obvious way anews organization can understand and communicate the impact its work is having.

In a document provided to potential funders, Wisconsin Watch points out several examples of policy changes and attention paid to issues it covered. Most notably, the document indicates theirreporting was linked to the resignation of an Indiana prosecutor who emailed WisconsinGovernor Scott Walker, encouraging him to use a “false flag” operation to discredit pro-unionprotesters.21 Wisconsin Watch also maintains a table on its website that shows where its contentis published and when.

The Chicago Reporter takes a different approach, focusing on the awards the magazine has wonas a measure of its impact. In the “Reporter Impact” section of the bimonthly magazine andonline, any recognition the Reporter receives is listed, along with legislation and other eventsrelated to recent articles.

8. Diversify revenue sources, with a special focus on small donors

In examining many of the sites we looked at, the Knight Foundation’s “Getting Local” reportfound that though many news organizations are working towards sustainability, “none has yetdeveloped a clear business model that defines how they create, deliver and capture value.” Wefound that some sites have done a better job than others in developing a diverse mix of revenuesources, including advertisements and small donations. These sites have an advantage over thosethat rely almost exclusively on foundation grants.

The St. Louis Beacon has focused from the beginning on small donations. According toFreivogel, the St. Louis Beacon receives approximately 60 percent of its funding from smalldonors, and 20 percent from events the organization holds. The Beacon promotes thesignificance of individual donations through its “I Back the Beacon” campaign, which displays

rotating photos and names of donors prominently on the home page. According to the Beacon’sgeneral manager, Nicole Hollway, the site offers a combination of advertising and sponsorshipsbased on their knowledge of the community. “We’re experts at knowing what they want toknow, what they want to know more about, what their passion is about, and how to get it to

20 Hall, Andy. Telephone Interview by Diana Novak. 29 Sep 2011.21 Hall, Andy. "Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism." Sep 2011: 2. Print.



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them, and the ability to translate that for a sponsor and advertiser,” Hollway told Street Fightmagazine in June 2011.23

The Beacon is attempting to further reduce its dependence on foundations by pulling in newrevenue from events, sponsorships and other products in order to become more self-sustaining.

Though the site has more sources of income on the whole than many of its peer companies, itssuccess or failure in identifying and leveraging those alternative products could determine whichnew technologies the Beacon is able to integrate over the next few years.

About two-thirds of the Texas Tribune’s $2.4 million budget comes from major donors whocontribute annually at the $5,000 level or above. The rest of the revenue comes from events,advertising, corporate sponsorships and the sale of their specialty publication, showingsignificant diversity.

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Their goal is to eventually wean off of major donors, however, because disproportionatedependence on major givers means greater risks.

In the 2010 Knight Foundation “Seeking Sustainability” report, Thornton indicated that theTribune set a goal for attracting 10,000 members, pledging an average of $100 per year.25 Healso admitted that his company was making the least progress in this area of fundraising as itcompared to their other efforts.

MinnPost, too, has emphasized diversifying its revenue sources. Joel Kramer, the site’spublisher, has set a goal of being self-sufficient without foundation funding by 2012. In 2010, thesite drew 34 percent of their donations from givers contributing $1,000 or less. For a site with a$1.3 million budget, 38 percent of which comes from donations, that was no smallaccomplishment.26

The Bay Citizen raised over $11 million in 2010, vastly more than their peer sites. Theorganization relies on ad sales, content sales and memberships, all of which are based on a strongunderstanding of their audience and the ability to capitalize on it.

27Almost 30 percent of the

23 Hirschman, David. "St. Louis Beacon: Revenue Beyond the Banner Ad."Street Fight . 22 Jun 2011: n.

page. Web. 26 Oct. 2011. <http://streetfightmag.com/2011/06/22/st-louis-beacon-revenue-beyond-the-

banner-ad/>. 24

McClellan, Michele. "Getting Local: How Nonprofit News Ventures Seek Sustainability." Miami, FL,Knight Foundation. 2011. 19. Print.25 Sopher, Christopher. "Seeking Sustainability: A non-profit news roundtable." Austin, TX, John S. and

James L. Knight Foundation. 2010. 15. Print.26 McClellan, Michele. "Getting Local: How Nonprofit News Ventures Seek Sustainability." Miami, FL,

Knight Foundation. 2011. 16-17. Print.27 McClellan, Michele. "Getting Local: How Nonprofit News Ventures Seek Sustainability." Miami, FL,

Knight Foundation. 2011. 22. Print.



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organization’s revenue comes from memberships, though 60 percent comes from major donorsand foundations.28

By using the partnership model, Wisconsin Watch has been able to reach a large audiencewithout a large budget. It spent just $195,000 in 2010, according to the IRS Form 990 provided

on its website. Individual donors with paid memberships accounted for only 1 percent of theCenter’s budget in 2011, while foundation support provided 70 percent.29

28 McClellan, Michele. "Getting Local: How Nonprofit News Ventures Seek Sustainability." Miami, FL,

Knight Foundation. 2011. 16. Print.29 Hall, Andy. Telephone Interview by Diana Novak. 29 Sep 2011.



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Watchdog profiles

THE BAY CITIZEN

baycitizen.org

Origins: Launched in 2010 with a $5 milliondonation from the Hellman Family Foundation.

F. Warren Hellman, a private equity investor,

convened an advisory team to examine the lack

of quality reporting in the Bay Area.

Types of Content: Investigative and breaking

daily news content, covering topics in the Bay

Area that range from cooking to the mayoral

election.

Distribution Strategy: Website and partnership

with The New York Times.

Revenue: Brought in $11.27 million in 2010, 70percent of which came from foundations, with

another 28 percent from individual donors.

Seeks to become less dependent on

foundations by 2014 and increase corporate

sponsorship to 30 percent of its annual revenue.

BETTER GOVERNMENT ASSOCIATION

bettergov.org

Origins: Begun in 1923 by Chicago clergy,

businessmen and others to fight political

corruption in the city.

Types of Content: Investigative news stories,

databases, blogs and aggregated news content

from other publications.

Distribution Strategy: Free on website and e-

newsletter. Also partners with other

organizations, such as the Sun-Times and

Chicago TV stations, to publish or broadcast the

investigative projects.

Revenue Sources: Spent $1.39 million in 2010,

bringing in 44 percent of its revenue fromfoundation and corporation support, 32 percent

from an annual luncheon, 12 percent from major

donors and 10 percent from small, individual

donations.



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CHICAGO NEWS COOPERATIVE

chicagonewscoop.org

Origins: Started by former Chicago Tribune

managing editor James O’Shea. It initiallyreceived a $500,000 grant from the John and

Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation and two

$250,000 grants from the Knight Foundation and

Media Development Loan Fund.

Types of Content: News stories and opinion

pieces covering Chicago's city and county

government, schools and housing.

Distribution Strategy: Friday and Sunday

publication in the New York Times, website and

daily email newsletter.

Revenue Sources: Payments from The New

York Times to provide news for the Chicagoedition, foundation support, independent

philanthropists and online ad sales.

CITY LIMITS

citylimits.org

Origins: Started in 1976 as a print newsletter

focusing on problems in New York City public

housing, expanded mission to include issues

such as such as homelessness and economic

development.

Types of Content: Investigative stories on

public policy issues, including the environment,

education, homelessness and unemployment.

Distribution Strategy: Website and a bi-

monthly print magazine. Online content includes

blogs, videos, slideshows, charts, graphs, and

PDFs of government files, reports and studies.

Revenue Sources: Subscriptions, individual

donors, foundation grants and advertising sales,

including job classifieds and display ads for printand online. In 2009, the publication was

acquired by the Community Service Society of

New York.



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MINNPOST

minnpost.com

Origins: Launched with $850,000 funding

from four families to provide high-quality journalism for readers who care about

Minnesota.

Types of Content: News and analysis in

stories and multimedia, focused on the

Minnesota region.

Distribution Strategy: Previously published

print edition, but now focused on website and

email newsletters.

Revenue Sources: In 2010 took in $1.28

million, 38 percent of which came from

donations, 36 percent from foundations and

16 percent from advertising. An additional 9

percent came from corporate sponsorships.

ST. LOUIS BEACON

stlbeacon.org

Origins: Launched by former St. Louis Post-

Dispatch reporters in 2007 with $500,000

challenge grant from Emily Rauh Pulitzer and a

$200,000 grant from Washington Universitychancellor emeritus Bill Danforth to provide good

journalism for the St. Louis area.

Types of Content: St. Louis area news,

including politics and hard news issues, such as

race and education, as well as arts and opinion.

Distribution Strategy: Online-only with six e-

mail newsletters per week and more than 8,000

subscribers.

Revenue Sources: Of the Beacon’s $2,220,000

in revenue for 2010, 59 percent came from

donations, with 35 percent coming from

foundation support and 6 percent from specialtypublications and syndication.



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TEXAS TRIBUNE

texastribune.org

Origins: Founded in 2009 as a nonpartisan,

non-profit organization to report and promote

civic engagement and public discourse on

issues of public policy, politics and government.

Types of Content: Data-driven and

investigative stories, as well as blogs and

multimedia content focused on informing Texas

citizens.

Distribution Strategy: Website content, as well

as special subscription-based publications and

partnerships with other companies such as

Newsweek and The New York Times.

Revenue Sources: Total revenue in 2010 was

$1.82 million, $305,400 of which came fromcorporate sponsorships, $175,000 from special

publications and $175,000 from events. The

Tribune also brought in $7,900 from advertising

and $27,200 from other sources.

VOICE OF SAN DIEGO

voiceofsandiego.org

Origins: Started in 2005 after real estate and

technology magnate Buzz Woolley donated

$355,000 to start up an investigative publication

as an alternative to San Diego’s primary

newspaper, the Union-Tribune.

Types of Content: Investigations, news stories,

commentary and blogs covering arts, politics,

education, environment, economics, data

stories, community, housing, science, as well as

breaking news and photo series.

Distribution Strategy: Free via website and

daily email newsletter.

Revenue Sources: 2010 revenue totaled $1.13

million, with 44 percent coming from individualdonations, 43 percent from foundations, 5

percent from advertising and 4 percent each

from syndication and sponsorships.



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THE WISCONSIN CENTER FOR

INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALISM

wisconsinwatch.org

Origins: Started by Andy Hall in 2009 with a$100,000 grant from the Ethics and Excellence

in Journalism Foundation.

Types of Content: News, photos and data

stories targeting government and justice issues,

as well as the environment and economy.

Distribution Strategy: On WisconsinWatch.org,

with aggressive efforts to redistribute the work

through other news outlets in the state.

Revenue Sources: The WCIJ claimed $154,877

in revenue in 2010, $144,470 of which came

from contributions, grants and similar sources.

Revenue consisted mostly of foundation grantsand individual donations, with other revenue

coming from advertising and corporate

sponsorships.

Non-Profit Watchdog News: What's Working?

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