Our Funders and Partners
How FIJ Helped to Uncover the My Lai Massacre
Click here to hear veteran investigative reporter Seymour Hersh tell how – with financial support from the Fund for Investigative Journalism – he learned about the massacre of civilians in Vietnam, how he tracked down Lt. William Calley and, in so doing, changed the world’s perception of American intervention in Southeast Asia. It demonstrates how small grants from our fund have enabled talented journalists to produce big, important stories, changing the course of history.
The Elusive Goal of “Housing First”
February 28th, 2015
From the San Francisco Public Press: a series on the difficulty fulfilling a 10-year-old promise of finding homes for the city’s neediest residents, and why the jail has become the city’s psychiatric institution of last resort.
[Reporting sponsored by The Ethics and Excellence in Journalism Foundation.]
Photo credit: Anna Vignet
The Vatican’s Loophole
February 22nd, 2015
From Jason Berry, for GlobalPost, a story about the limits to Pope Francis’ power to make good on his pledge of “zero tolerance” towards clergy who abuse children. In a follow-up piece, Berry explores the issues surrounding demands for a Truth and Reconciliation Commission.
[Reporting sponsored by The Nicholas B. Ottaway Foundation.]
Investigative Freelancer Survey Released
February 17th, 2015
Project Word has released a groundbreaking survey of investigative freelance reporters, called “Untold Stories.” Major finding: freelancers say they are forced to drop many investigative stories each year for lack of financial resources. Interested in the feedback the survey would produce, The Fund for Investigative Journalism helped out by notifying its grantees of the opportunity to participate.
U. S. Seed Introduced to Africa, Through 4-H Clubs
February 10th, 2015
From Kiera Butler for Mother Jones, the story of high quality – but expensive – seeds planted in Africa by 4-H club members, funded by the USDA and corporate sponsor DuPont. Will African farmers get hooked on DuPont’s “Pioneer” seed? If so, who will pay? Read more.
[Reporting sponsored by The Park Foundation.]
Photo credit: Peter DiCampo
America’s Guilt Mill
February 9th, 2015
From David J. Krajicek for The Crime Report, a groundbreaking investigation of the many thousands of wrongful convictions for crimes such as robbery – cases that have been overlooked because advocates focus on suspects who face the death penalty or life in prison. One woman spent seven years in prison for an Arizona bank robbery — until the real robber was found. “If it can happen to me,” Rachel Jernigan told Krajicek, “it can happen to anyone.” Click here for the main story, the history sidebar, and the local court sidebar.
[Reporting sponsored by The Gannett Foundation.]
Unjustified Police Shootings in the Dominican Republic
February 9th, 2015
From Ezra Fieser for 18 Degrees North: A report on suspects who are shot and killed by police in the Dominican Republic. Human rights researchers say 15 percent of all homicides there are committed by law enforcement officers.
Watch the report here.
[Reporting sponsored by The Reva and David Logan Foundation.]
Fishermen Use DDT to Catch Fish From Volta Lake
February 9th, 2015
From Adu Koranteng for New Crusading Guide Newspaper and Modern Ghana News: It’s banned, but practiced by fishermen in Ghana who are desperate to make a living. They kill fish with poisons such as DDT; the fish are later sold in markets. One local man told Koranteng: “We have seen them do it in the night but you cannot go close to them since some of them wield machetes… they will try to sink your canoe or kill you.” Read more.
[Reporting sponsored by The Green Park Foundation and The Reva and David Logan Foundation.]
Photo credit: Adu Koranteng
Meltdown in Haditha
February 6th, 2015
From Kenneth Englade, the account of the failure of military to exact justice in the deaths of 24 Iraqi civilians – including six children – at the hands of a U. S. Marine squad. Read more.
[Reporting sponsored by The Park Foundation.]
Insurance Rates Go Up, Up, Up
February 6th, 2015
From Ana Radelet for The Connecticut Mirror: For eight years – until the law changed under Obamacare – state regulators in Connecticut never rejected Aetna’s requests to raise health insurance rates.
[Reporting sponsored by The Ethics and Excellence in Journalism Foundation.]
Feds Demand Refund of Stimulus Payments
February 3rd, 2015
From Rone Tempest, a follow-up to his investigation of a failed Wyoming energy project and the waste of taxpayers’ money invested in it. Now Tempest has learned the federal government has demanded a refund of $5.7 million. The energy project was suspended “due to apparent serious mismanagement or misuse of funds.” Read the full story at www.wyofile.com.