21st Century Muckrakers
Watchdog reporting resides at the core of what journalism does. Its roots dig deeply into the common ground uniting the muckrakers’ unearthing of public and private scandals a century ago with what investigative reporters are illuminating today. Though reporting and distribution of this news is very different in the digital era, unfortunately the human conditions requiring press scrutiny are not. These include patterns of corruption and malfeasance among those holding powerful positions of public and private trust.
These foundations and centers offer financial support for journalists.
Alicia Patterson Foundation
www.aliciapatterson.org
This Washington, D.C.-based fund provides six-month and one-year grants to working investigative reporters who want to pursue independent investigative projects. Grants can be as much as $35,000 and are awarded based on an annual competition.
Center for Investigative Reporting
centerforinvestigativereporting.org/projects/thedickgoldensohnfund
The Dick Goldensohn Fund makes small grants to cover research, reporting and travel costs for freelance journalists working on international investigations.
Fund for Investigative Journalism
www.fij.org
Based in Washington, D.C., the Fund for Investigative Journalism gives grants of up to $10,000 to investigative reporters who are working outside of major news organizations. Types of investigations the fund supports include corruption, incompetence and societal ills.
Investigative Reporters and Editors (IRE)
www.ire.org/training/fellowships
E-mail Jennifer Erickson at jennifer@ire.org
In a new program, IRE will offer grants to freelancers working on investigative stories. IRE will distribute a limited number of annual fellowships of $1,000 to $2,000. Applications are due on May 1st each year, and fellows will be announced at IRE’s annual conference in June.
The Nation Institute
www.nationinstitute.org/ifunds/
The Nation Institute’s Investigative Fund provides grants for researching investigative stories. The fund is designed to support work on stories about topics and issues that are often ignored by mainstream media.
The Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting
pulitzercenter.org/ (Click on “Grants”)
The center funds international travel costs associated with reporting projects on topics and regions of global importance. While broad in its description, the center has supported investigative pieces “with an emphasis on issues that have gone unreported or underreported in the mainstream American media.” The grant amount depends on the specific project and detailed budget planning and ranges from $3,000 to $10,000. Some have been as much as $20,000. All journalists, writers or filmmakers, both freelance and staff of any nationality, may apply.
University of California at Berkeley, Graduate School of Journalism
journalism.berkeley.edu/
E-mail Marlena Telvick at investigativereportingprogram@berkeley.edu
The university offers three yearlong postgraduate fellowships in investigative reporting that are open to all working journalists but with preference given to graduates of U.C. Berkeley’s program in journalism. Selection will be based on qualifications as well as potential and on the proposed areas of investigation. Fellows will be provided with office space, phones and basic expenses and will be considered employees of the university with an annual salary of about $45,000.
This information was compiled by Rachel Schaff, who is in her second year of the Masters of Library Science program at the University of Missouri-Columbia and has worked in the resource center of Investigative Reporters and Editors for several years while attending Missouri. She will join the staff at the library at U.S. News & World Report after she graduates in May.
Alicia Patterson Foundation
www.aliciapatterson.org
This Washington, D.C.-based fund provides six-month and one-year grants to working investigative reporters who want to pursue independent investigative projects. Grants can be as much as $35,000 and are awarded based on an annual competition.
Center for Investigative Reporting
centerforinvestigativereporting.org/projects/thedickgoldensohnfund
The Dick Goldensohn Fund makes small grants to cover research, reporting and travel costs for freelance journalists working on international investigations.
Fund for Investigative Journalism
www.fij.org
Based in Washington, D.C., the Fund for Investigative Journalism gives grants of up to $10,000 to investigative reporters who are working outside of major news organizations. Types of investigations the fund supports include corruption, incompetence and societal ills.
Investigative Reporters and Editors (IRE)
www.ire.org/training/fellowships
E-mail Jennifer Erickson at jennifer@ire.org
In a new program, IRE will offer grants to freelancers working on investigative stories. IRE will distribute a limited number of annual fellowships of $1,000 to $2,000. Applications are due on May 1st each year, and fellows will be announced at IRE’s annual conference in June.
The Nation Institute
www.nationinstitute.org/ifunds/
The Nation Institute’s Investigative Fund provides grants for researching investigative stories. The fund is designed to support work on stories about topics and issues that are often ignored by mainstream media.
The Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting
pulitzercenter.org/ (Click on “Grants”)
The center funds international travel costs associated with reporting projects on topics and regions of global importance. While broad in its description, the center has supported investigative pieces “with an emphasis on issues that have gone unreported or underreported in the mainstream American media.” The grant amount depends on the specific project and detailed budget planning and ranges from $3,000 to $10,000. Some have been as much as $20,000. All journalists, writers or filmmakers, both freelance and staff of any nationality, may apply.
University of California at Berkeley, Graduate School of Journalism
journalism.berkeley.edu/
E-mail Marlena Telvick at investigativereportingprogram@berkeley.edu
The university offers three yearlong postgraduate fellowships in investigative reporting that are open to all working journalists but with preference given to graduates of U.C. Berkeley’s program in journalism. Selection will be based on qualifications as well as potential and on the proposed areas of investigation. Fellows will be provided with office space, phones and basic expenses and will be considered employees of the university with an annual salary of about $45,000.
This information was compiled by Rachel Schaff, who is in her second year of the Masters of Library Science program at the University of Missouri-Columbia and has worked in the resource center of Investigative Reporters and Editors for several years while attending Missouri. She will join the staff at the library at U.S. News & World Report after she graduates in May.
