The Middle for Public Integrity, one of many oldest and most storied nonprofit newsrooms in the US, is contemplating merging with a competitor or shutting down amid turmoil in its prime ranks and monetary difficulties which have considerably sapped its reserves, in response to two folks with information of the group’s interior workings.
The nonprofit fell about $2.5 million wanting its funds objective of round $6 million for 2023, in response to the 2 folks, who would communicate solely anonymously to guard their relationships inside the group.
This month, Paul Cheung, the group’s chief government, resigned after an worker accused him of unethical habits. The board additionally eradicated the place of its editor in chief, Matt DeRienzo, who has left the nonprofit.
In an announcement, the Middle for Public Integrity stated it had a “financially challenged previous yr” like many different nonprofit media organizations.
“The board stays dedicated to C.P.I. and its important mission, and is working arduous to find out the easiest way ahead for our journalism,” the nonprofit stated in an announcement. In an announcement, Mr. Cheung denied wrongdoing.
The monetary peril dealing with the Middle for Public Integrity threatens to extinguish a newsroom of about 30 journalists that has watchdogged highly effective establishments for many years. A lot of its funding has come from foundations concerned about supporting investigative journalism, together with the Knight Basis and the Robert R. McCormick Basis.
As its reserves dwindle, its board of administrators is considering drastic motion to handle the scenario. The Middle for Public Integrity explored a possible mixture this yr with The Markup, a nonprofit newsroom that publishes investigations about know-how, nevertheless it by no means got here to fruition. The group has additionally sought reductions to its 2024 funds, three folks acquainted with the discussions stated.
Many newsrooms have fallen on arduous occasions amid a tough marketplace for promoting and subscriptions. A number of, together with The Washington Publish, The Wall Road Journal and The Los Angeles Occasions, have laid off employees.
Based by the investigative journalist Chuck Lewis in 1989, the Middle for Public Integrity has received quite a few awards for its journalism, together with the Pulitzer Prize in 2014 for an investigation right into a rigged system depriving coal miners of well being care advantages. Within the final yr, it received an Edward R. Murrow award for basic excellence.
Alongside the way in which, it pioneered a mannequin for investigative reporting that served as a template for the following technology of nonprofit newsrooms. Over the following three many years, a number of nonprofits — together with ProPublica and the Marshall Mission — adopted in its footsteps.
“C.P.I. was a vital information group within the formation of recent nonprofit information,” stated Richard Tofel, the previous president of ProPublica. “What Chuck Lewis actually innovated was a devoted employees that may do long-form investigative work supposed to spur widespread protection within the hope of producing change.”
Earlier than Mr. Cheung resigned, he was the main focus of a human sources grievance that included a Slack message he despatched to a different worker saying they wanted to “fudge some $$$” for a presentation to a basis. After the message was flagged to human sources, the grievance stated, Mr. Cheung edited his message to say “clarify some $$$,” which the grievance stated was “a big change to change the that means and intent of his writing.”
Mr. Cheung, in an announcement, denied misrepresenting the nonprofit’s financials to its employees, board and companions. He added that he had “diligently labored to make sure the group’s sustainability.”
“C.P.I. is dealing with lots of the similar financial headwinds that a lot of our friends have been coping with for the reason that pandemic,” he wrote.
The Middle for Public Integrity appeared into the incident and located no proof of economic impropriety, in response to an individual acquainted with the scenario.
Workers have additionally expressed dissatisfaction with the nonprofit’s lack of communication about monetary instability and its marketing strategy. In a December letter to the nonprofit’s board, its employees stated morale was low throughout a number of departments due to declining belief that led to “a rift between our C.E.O. and editorial crew.”
“That breakdown is main us down a catastrophic path, each financially and culturally,” the letter learn.
A number of nonprofit newsrooms have explored mergers lately to bolster their journalism and make a extra compelling pitch to potential funders. In December, Mom Jones stated it was combining with the Middle for Investigative Reporting, an investigative information group co-founded by Lowell Bergman, a former “60 Minutes” investigative producer.
