In recent years, Type Investigations has doubled the percentage of stories we publish with local and regional newsrooms. The Type Investigations Springboard Project builds on that foundation by expanding the breadth of our work with outlets that serve historically marginalized communities. Springboard offers an infusion of editorial, research, and financial support to help these newsrooms strengthen their own investigative capacity.
A recent CUNY survey shows that local and diverse newsrooms are eager to produce more investigative journalism. These newsrooms recognize the value of investigative journalism in catalyzing community engagement. They know that enterprise reporting is a critical tool to advance our democracy and hold it to account, and that exposing injustice empowers communities to more strongly advocate for themselves.
How it Works
We partner with local newsrooms committed to developing their capacity to do investigative stories – meaning digging up stories other reporters haven’t found yet, uncovering explosive new facts, or significantly advancing stories that have been covered. Editorial project support will include one-on-one mentoring sessions, research support, fact-checking and legal vetting.
Partnerships can last up to two years. Because Springboard is designed to boost newsrooms’ overall investigative capacity, we ask that at least one editor and one reporter commit to regular meetings with Type staff, and that development and audience engagement staff also participate in joint meetings to structure and implement collaborative fundraising initiatives. All members of participant newsrooms are invited but not required to attend training sessions.
Participating newsrooms receive resources including:
• A $10,000 stipend to support an investigative project. This money can go towards staff salaries, public-records requests, travel, and other project-related expenses.
• 24 months of professional development (individual coaching sessions, and regular cohort trainings for reporters and editors)
• An opportunity to work and support a cohort of other newsrooms that serve and are led by historically marginalized communities.
Results
We’ve published investigations with local outlets including Documented, St. Louis American, Cicero Independiente, Wisconsin Examiner, Louisville Public Media, and The Assembly. In each case, we were able to help these outlets achieve their own goals. The stories themselves have created major buzz in the industry, and more importantly, led to real-world change.
For our first partnership through the Springboard Project, we worked with Blacklight, the investigative unit at the New York Amsterdam News. We provided editorial support for their project on bail reform as well as on-the-ground reporting assistance for an award-winning series on the impact of gun violence on communities of color. Most recently, we teamed up with the Gulf States Newsroom to investigate the critical shortage of sexual assault nurse examiners (SANEs) in the Gulf South, which resulted in a story, radio segment and community listening event. The project was discussed Louisiana’s Sexual Assault Oversight Commission, where members considered steps and legislation to address the problems highlighted in the story.
We’ve recently expanded the Springboard Project and launched a new cohort of partners: India Currents, Puente News Collaborative, and Southside Weekly. Follow along with our progress by subscribing to our newsletter.
Interested in supporting the Springboard Project? Please reach out to springboard@typemediacenter.org for more information.