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In 2012, the Center for Investigative Reporting received the MacArthur Award for Creative and Effective Leadership.<ref name="LAO">{{cite web |publisher=LA Observed |url=http://www.laobserved.com/archive/2012/02/morning_buzz_thursday_216.php |title=Morning Buzz |date=16 February 2012 |author=Kevin Roderick |accessdate=4 January 2013}}</ref> The award is a monetary prize from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation.<ref name="PY"></ref> The Center received a prize of $1 million.<ref name="NYT"></ref> Executive Director Robert Rosenthal explained that the money would go toward new forms of video distribution.<ref name="NYT"></ref> With the prize, the Center also plans to improve its technology and create a fund for innovative projects in the future.<ref name="SFG">{{cite web |publisher=San Francisco Chronicle |url=http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Berkeley-group-gets-1-million-journalism-grant-3334877.php |date=16 February 2012 |author=Justin Berton |title=Berkeley group gets $1 million journalism grant |accessdate=4 January 2013}}</ref>
In 2012, the Center for Investigative Reporting received the MacArthur Award for Creative and Effective Leadership.<ref name="LAO">{{cite web |publisher=LA Observed |url=http://www.laobserved.com/archive/2012/02/morning_buzz_thursday_216.php |title=Morning Buzz |date=16 February 2012 |author=Kevin Roderick |accessdate=4 January 2013}}</ref> The award is a monetary prize from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation.<ref name="PY"></ref> The Center received a prize of $1 million.<ref name="NYT"></ref> Executive Director Robert Rosenthal explained that the money would go toward new forms of video distribution.<ref name="NYT"></ref> With the prize, the Center also plans to improve its technology and create a fund for innovative projects in the future.<ref name="SFG">{{cite web |publisher=San Francisco Chronicle |url=http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Berkeley-group-gets-1-million-journalism-grant-3334877.php |date=16 February 2012 |author=Justin Berton |title=Berkeley group gets $1 million journalism grant |accessdate=4 January 2013}}</ref>


CIR stories have received numerous journalism awards including the Alfred I. duPont-Columbia University Silver Baton, George Polk Award, Emmy Award, Scripps Howard Award and numerous Investigative Reporters and Editors Awards. In 2012, its “On Shaky Ground” investigation was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize.
CIR stories have received numerous journalism awards including the Alfred I. duPont-Columbia University Silver Baton, [[George Polk Award]], [[Emmy Award]], [[Scripps Howard]] Award and numerous Investigative Reporters and Editors Awards. In 2012, its “On Shaky Ground” investigation was a finalist for the [[Pulitzer Prize]].

==Board Members==
==Board Members==
<ref name="CIR2">{{cite web |url=http://cironline.org/about/board |publisher=Center for Investigative Reporting |title=Board & Advisory Board |accessdate=4 January 2013}}</ref>
<ref name="CIR2">{{cite web |url=http://cironline.org/about/board |publisher=Center for Investigative Reporting |title=Board & Advisory Board |accessdate=4 January 2013}}</ref>

Revision as of 03:00, 6 January 2013

The Center for Investigative Reporting is a nonprofit news organization based in Berkeley, California.[1] The Center has conducted investigative journalism since 1977.[2] The organization is well known for producing stories that reveal scandals or corruption in government agencies and corporations. In 2010, CIR launched its California Watch reporting project and in 2012, it merged with The Bay Citizen. Its 2012 budget is approximately $11 million. The current business model emphasizes cooperation with partners and other news outlets rather than competition, although the Center charges outlets that publish or broadcast its content. Robert J. Rosenthal has been the executive director of the Center since 2007.[3] Phil Bronstein is the organization’s executive chair.

History

Beginnings

David Weir, Dan Noyes, and Lowell Bergman founded the Center for Investigative Reporting in 1977.[4][5] The main offices were in downtown Oakland, California.[6] The Center’s first large investigation exposed the criminal activity of the Black Panther Party, a subject the organization revisited in 2012.[6]

1980s

In 1982, a story published in Mother Jones magazine revealed testing fraud in consumer products. The center worked together with the magazine to produce the story.[7] The investigation won several awards, including Sigma Delta Chi and Investigative Reporters and Editors awards.[6]

CIR began producing television documentaries in 1980 and has since produced more than 30 documentaries for Frontline and Frontline/World, dozens of reports for other television outlets and three independent feature documentaries. ABC’s 20/20 and CBS’s 60 Minutes have featured reporting from CIR. Major stories in the 80s included studies of the toxicity of ordinary consumer products, an exposé of nuclear accidents in the world’s navies, and coverage of questionable tactics by the FBI during the Reagan administration.[6]

1990s

In 1990, CIR produced its first independent TV documentary. “Global Dumping Ground” was reported by Bill Moyers on PBS’s Frontline. The film spurred federal investigations and was rebroadcast in at least 18 nations.[6]

Other notable CIR reports included a look at the rise of Rush Limbaugh and a study of education and race in an urban high school. An investigation for the New York Daily News and Fox’s Front Page revealed lethal dangers in a common diet drug.[6]

2000-present

In 2005, the Center’s investigations into wiretapping and data mining prompted Congressional hearings on privacy.[6] The Center also exposed the forensic practices of the FBI that resulted in false imprisonments.[8]

Robert J. Rosenthal became executive director of the Center in 2007.[6] He had more than thirty years of experience as a journalist and editor at the San Francisco Chronicle, Philadelphia Inquirer, Boston Globe and The New York Times.[3]

In 2010, the Center released the documentary film, Dirty Business. The film exposed the myth of clean coal and the lobbying tactics of the coal industry.

Today, the organization's stories regularly appear in news outlets around the country and in California including NPR News, PBS Frontline, PBS NEWSHOUR, The Los Angeles Times, Washington Post, The San Francisco Chronicle, The Sacramento Bee, The Daily Beast, Al Jazeera English and American Public Media's Marketplace.

In April 2012, Google and the Center for Investigative Reporting teamed up to host “TechRaking,” an informal conference that brought together journalists and technologists.[9] In September 2012, the second “TechRaking” brought together journalists and gamers, at IGN in San Francisco.

The Center for Investigative Reporting announced a partnership with Univision News in 2012.[10] The deal will bring investigative stories to Hispanic households across the United States.[10]

Merger with the Bay Citizen

The Center for Investigative Reporting merged with The Bay Citizen as of April 2012. The Bay Citizen is a nonprofit, investigative news group based in the San Francisco area.[11] The group continues to report on stories of local interest.[12]

California Watch

In 2009, the Center for Investigative Reporting created California Watch, a reporting team dedicated to state-focused stories.[6] Its website launched in 2010.[13] Editorial director Mark Katches explained that the site would function as a watchdog group in the areas of government, criminal justice, higher education, and public health.[14] In 2010, the Online News Association honored California Watch with a general excellence award.[6] In 2012, California Watch won the George Polk Award for its series on Medicare billing fraud.

I Files

In August 2012, the Center for Investigative Reporting created “The I Files” channel on YouTube.[15] The Knight Foundation provided an $800,000 grant to make the channel possible.[16] The channel presents investigative video from a variety of news outlets, including The New York Times, BBC, Al Jazeera English, ABC News, and National Public Radio.[17]

Business Model

The Center for Investigative Reporting relies heavily on foundation grants and individual donations to fund its efforts.[5]In addition to publishing reports directly on its site, the Center produces content for a wide range of other news outlets, including local TV affiliates, newspapers, public radio, and PBS.[18] More recently, the Center has invested in multimedia, particularly video, as a means of reaching bigger audiences and producing a new revenue stream.[19]

Awards and Recognition

In 2012, the Center for Investigative Reporting received the MacArthur Award for Creative and Effective Leadership.[20] The award is a monetary prize from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation.[19] The Center received a prize of $1 million.[1] Executive Director Robert Rosenthal explained that the money would go toward new forms of video distribution.[1] With the prize, the Center also plans to improve its technology and create a fund for innovative projects in the future.[21]

CIR stories have received numerous journalism awards including the Alfred I. duPont-Columbia University Silver Baton, George Polk Award, Emmy Award, Scripps Howard Award and numerous Investigative Reporters and Editors Awards. In 2012, its “On Shaky Ground” investigation was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize.

Board Members

[22]

  • David Boardman (Seattle Times)
  • Phil Bronstein (Center for Investigative Reporting)
  • Stephen Davis (Banneker Partners)
  • Sandra Hernandez (San Francisco Foundation)
  • Susan Hirsch (Hirsch and Associates)
  • Tom Lockard (Stone and Youngberg)
  • Jon Logan (Reva and David Logan Foundation)
  • Justin Nyweide (HMI Capital)
  • Susan F. Sachs (Common Sense Media)
  • Christian Selchau-Hansen (Zynga)
  • Gabriel Stricker (Twitter)
  • Jeff Ubben (ValueAct Capital)
  • Howard Zack (private investor)
  • Emeritus Board Members: Dan Noyes, Lowell Bergman, David Weir

Investigations

  • The Boomerang Crime, by David Weir, Mark Shapiro and Terry Jacobs. Published in Mother Jones.[6]
  • ABC’s 20/20 showcases CIR story of how the UN’s “International Year of the Child” was instead a front for illegal gun and drug trafficking.[23][6]
  • Operation Wigwam exposed the cover up of potential ill effects from an underwater nuclear test in the Pacific Ocean.[6]
  • Citizen Scaife, by Karen Rothmyer, appears in the Columbia Journalism Review and The Washington Post.[24][6]
  • The Illusion of Safety, by Douglas Foster and Mark Dowie. Appears in Mother Jones.[7]
  • The Bad Drug, a report featured on 60 Minutes about the dangers of blood pressure drug Selacryn.[25]
  • The Nuclear Navy, an explosive report on the thirty-year history of naval nuclear accidents, makes headlines worldwide.[6]
  • The Heartbeat of America, an investigation of General Motors produced for Frontline.[6]
  • Who’s Watching the Watchdog, a look at the Better Business Bureau, by Richard H.P. Sia.[6]
  • Hot Guns, a Frontline and CIR story on cheap handguns.[6]
  • Justice for Sale, explores corruption in America’s court system.[6]
  • Tobacco Traffic, by Mark Schapiro and producer Oriana Zill de Granados, explores illegal smuggling. Print story “Big Tobacco” appears in The Nation.[6]
  • Reasonable Doubt, a CNN documentary on shoddy forensic science at the FBI.[8][6]
  • No Place to Hide, by Robert O’Harrow Jr., an investigation of government data mining as part of the war on terror.[6]
  • Conflicts on the Bench, reveals ethics violations by Bush court nominees. Will Evans partnered with Salon.com.[6]
  • Banished, an independent film on race relations in small towns, produced by CIR, premieres at 2007 Sundance Film Festival.[6]
  • The Chauncey Bailey Project, a joint investigation made possible by the Northern California Chapter of the Society for Professional Journalists, the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, the National Association of Black Journalists, the Sigma Delta Chi Foundation, the Newspaper Guild and The California Endowment. Investigators sought answers in the assassination of editor Chauncey Bailey.[26]
  • Carbon Watch, a project tracking various aspects of global warming science and policy.[6]
  • The Civil Rights Cold Case Project, a team effort involving CIR, the Concordia Sentinel, The Clarion-Ledger, The Anniston Star, the Detroit Free Press, hungryblues.net, and Paperny Films of Vancouver, BC.[27][28]
  • Dirty Business, a documentary film narrated by “Big Coal” author Jeff Goodell.[29][6]

References

  1. ^ a b c Felicia R Lee (16 February 2012). "MacArthur Grants Bolster Creative Group and Investigative Project". The New York Times. Retrieved 4 January 2013.
  2. ^ Jill Drew. "The New Investogators". Columbia Journalism Review. Retrieved 4 January 2013.
  3. ^ a b Robert John Rosenthal, The Complete Marquis Who’s Who, 8 August 2012
  4. ^ "Bergman". Retrieved 4 January 2013.
  5. ^ a b "CIR Facts" (PDF). Retrieved 4 January 2013.
  6. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z "CIR History" (PDF). Retrieved 4 January 2013.
  7. ^ a b Dowie, Mark; Foster, Douglas; Marshall, Carolyn; Weir, David; King, Jonathan (June 1982), "The Illusion of Safety, retrieved 4 January 2013
  8. ^ a b "Reasonable Doubt". CNN Presents. 5 November 2000. CNN. {{cite episode}}: External link in |transcripturl= (help); Unknown parameter |transcripturl= ignored (|transcript-url= suggested) (help)
  9. ^ Megan Garber (28 February 2012). "Google and the News, Part 2,389: The Company Is Co-Hosting a Conference on Investigative Reporting and Tech". Retrieved 4 January 2013.
  10. ^ a b Dru Sefton (14 August 2012). "Center for Investigative Reporting, Univision announce partnership". Retrieved 4 January 2013.
  11. ^ Andrew Beaujon (27 March 2012). "It's official: Bay Citizen, Center for Investigative Reporting will merge". The Poynter Institute. Retrieved 4 January 2013.
  12. ^ Dan Fost (29 March 2012). "Merger Likely to Mean Major Shift in Bay Citizen Coverage". The Bay Citizen. Retrieved 4 January 2013.
  13. ^ Pete Basofin (5 January 2010). "California Watch Launches with Investigations and Data". The Sacramento Bee. Retrieved 4 January 2013.
  14. ^ Martin Langeveld (5 January 2010). "California Watch: The latest entrant in the dot-org journalism boom". Nieman Journalism Lab. Retrieved 4 January 2013.
  15. ^ Rachel McAthy (2 August 2012). "Investigative news channel 'The I Files' launches on YouTube". Mousetrap Media. Retrieved 4 January 2013.
  16. ^ Gregory Ferenstein (1 August 2012). "YouTube Gets An Investigative News Channel". Tech Crunch. Retrieved 4 January 2013.
  17. ^ Gianna Walton (12 April 2012). "CIR announces new YouTube channel for investigative journalism". World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers. Retrieved 4 January 2013.
  18. ^ Chris Rauber (14 April 2010). "Investigative reporting center wins $440K grant for community health coverage". San Francisco Business Times. Retrieved 4 January 2013.
  19. ^ a b Andrew Beaujon (16 February 2012). "CIR's plan for MacArthur million". The Poynter Institute. Retrieved 4 January 2013.
  20. ^ Kevin Roderick (16 February 2012). "Morning Buzz". LA Observed. Retrieved 4 January 2013.
  21. ^ Justin Berton (16 February 2012). "Berkeley group gets $1 million journalism grant". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved 4 January 2013.
  22. ^ "Board & Advisory Board". Center for Investigative Reporting. Retrieved 4 January 2013.
  23. ^ "Interview: Dan Noyes, Center for Investigative Reporting". Retrieved 4 January 2013.
  24. ^ Rothmyer, Karen (July 1981), Citizen Scaife, vol. 20, p. 41{{citation}}: CS1 maint: date and year (link)
  25. ^ "DRUG MAKER PLEADS GUILTY OVER LETHAL SIDE EFFECTS". The New York Times. 14 December 1984. Retrieved 4 January 2013.
  26. ^ Dori J. Maynard (14 June 2011). "Chauncey Bailey Project: A Journalistic Collaboration". Maynard Institute. Retrieved 4 January 2013.
  27. ^ Stanley Nelson. "The Team". The Civil Rights Cold Case Project. Retrieved 4 January 2013.
  28. ^ Robert J. Rosenthal. "The Enduring Ambition of the Civil Rights Cold Case Project". Nieman Reports. Retrieved 4 January 2013.
  29. ^ Felicity Carus (7 February 2011). "Dirty Business film debunks 'clean coal' myth". The Guardian. Retrieved 4 January 2013.


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