Institute for Nonprofit News

{{Short description|Non-profit consortium of journalism organizations}}

{{Infobox Organization

| name = Institute for Nonprofit News

| image =

| size = 150px

| caption =

| formation = {{start date and age|2009}}

| logo = File:Institute for Nonprofit News logo.svg

| type = 501(c)(3) organization

| tax_id = 27-2614911

| registration_id = C3250040

| location =

| membership = 475

| membership_year = 2024

| language =

| key_people =

| num_staff = 20-30

| budget =

| website = {{Official URL}}

}}

The Institute for Nonprofit News (INN) is a non-profit consortium of nonprofit journalism organizations. The organization promotes nonprofit investigative and public service journalism. INN facilitates collaborations between member organizations, provides training in best-practices and fundraising, and provides back-office services.{{Cite book |last1=Anderson |first1=C. W. |url=https://archive.org/details/newsmediawhateve0000ande/page/106/mode/1up?ref=ol&access=1&view=theater&q=%22Institute+for+Nonprofit+News%22 |title=The news media: what everyone needs to know |last2=Downie |first2=Leonard |last3=Schudson |first3=Michael |date=2016 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=978-0-19-020619-2 |location=New York, NY |pages=106}}

History

INN was founded as the Investigative News Network in 2009 at a summer conference held at the Pocantico Center in New York with journalists from the Center for Public Integrity and the Center for Investigative Reporting, among other newer organizations. The result of that conference was the Pocantico Declaration with the intent to share resources and collaborate on projects.{{Cite web |last=Houston |first=Brant |date=2015-02-20 |title=21st Century Muckraking: Investigative Reporting Unleashed |url=https://gijn.org/2015/02/20/investigative-reporting-unleashed-from-withering-watchdogs-to-global-muckrakers/ |access-date=2023-07-25 |website=Global Investigative Journalism Network |language=en-US}}

Two papers in 2010 described a trend in news media where watchdog journalism was being done increasingly outside of mainstream newsrooms.{{Cite journal |last1=Hunter |first1=Mark Lee |last2=Van Wassenhove |first2=Luk N. |date=2010 |title=Disruptive News Technologies: Stakeholder Media and the Future of Watchdog Journalism Business Models |url=http://www.ssrn.com/abstract=1582324 |journal=SSRN Electronic Journal |language=en |doi=10.2139/ssrn.1582324 |issn=1556-5068}}{{Cite journal |last=Houston |first=Brant |date=April 2010 |title=The future of investigative journalism |url=https://direct.mit.edu/daed/article/139/2/45-56/26836 |journal=Daedalus |language=en |volume=139 |issue=2 |pages=45–56 |doi=10.1162/daed.2010.139.2.45 |issn=0011-5266|doi-access=free }}

INN was granted 501(c)(3) nonprofit status by the IRS in March 2012, 19 months after applying.{{Cite news |last=Myers |first=Steve |date=March 20, 2012 |title=Investigative News Network gets IRS nonprofit status |work=Poynter |url=http://www.poynter.org/latest-news/mediawire/167194/investigative-news-network-gets-irs-nonprofit-status/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120422214558/http://www.poynter.org/latest-news/mediawire/167194/investigative-news-network-gets-irs-nonprofit-status/ |archive-date=April 22, 2012}}

In November 2014, the board of INN met to conduct a strategic review of the organization. During that meeting the board decided to refine the organization's mission{{cite web |author= |date= |title=INN Mission & History |url=https://inn.org/about/who-we-are/#:~:text=Network%20map.-,Our%20Mission,-INN%E2%80%99s%20vision%20is |website=Institute for Nonprofit News |location=Beverly Hills, CA |publisher=Institute for Nonprofit News |access-date=January 28, 2025}} and to change its name from "Investigative News Network" to the "Institute for Nonprofit News". In March 2015, the board voted to terminate the organization's first CEO, Kevin Davis, and appoint data reporter Denise Malan as the interim CEO while a search was conducted to find a permanent replacement.{{cite news|last1=Lichterman|first1=Joseph|title=INN splits with CEO Davis as it refocuses its efforts to promote nonprofit journalism|url=http://www.niemanlab.org/2015/04/inn-splits-with-ceo-davis-as-it-refocuses-its-efforts-to-promote-nonprofit-journalism/|access-date=16 April 2015|publisher=Nieman Journalism Lab|date=April 9, 2015}} In September 2015, Sue Cross, formerly a consultant and before that a long-time employee of AP was hired as the new Executive Director and CEO.{{cite web |last=Lichterman |first=Joseph |title=The Institute for Nonprofit News hires Sue Cross, formerly at the AP, as its new CEO |url=http://www.niemanlab.org/2015/09/institute-for-nonprofit-news-hires-sue-cross-formerly-at-the-ap-as-its-new-ceo/ |access-date=21 June 2018 |website=niemanlab.org}} At the start of 2024, Karen Rundlet took over the top role from Cross; Rundlet had worked in the journalism program at the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation for several years and was previously a multimedia business journalist. {{Cite web |last=Wyllie |first=Julian |date=2023-11-29 |title=Karen Rundlet joins Institute for Nonprofit News as CEO |url=https://current.org/2023/11/karen-rundlet-joins-institute-for-nonprofit-news-as-ceo/ |access-date=2025-02-26 |website=Current |language=en-US}}

Members

As of November 2024, INN has 475 members,{{Cite web |last=Merid |first=Feven |date=November 1, 2024 |title=A New Press Pass Aims to Fix a Broken Credential Landscape |url=https://www.cjr.org/business_of_news/new-press-pass-broken-credential-institute-nonprofit-news-rcfp.php |access-date=2024-11-02 |website=Columbia Journalism Review |language=en}} up from 189 in March 2019{{cite news |last=Hare |first=Kristen |date=March 6, 2019 |title=Spirited Media is selling its three local newsrooms |newspaper=Current |publisher=Poynter |url=https://www.poynter.org/business-work/2019/spirited-media-is-selling-its-three-local-newsrooms/ |access-date=March 13, 2019}} and 60 in 2011.{{Cite web |last=Cho |first=Minhee |date=2011-08-30 |title=ProPublica Joins the Investigative News Network |url=https://www.propublica.org/atpropublica/propublica-joins-the-investigative-news-network |access-date=2023-07-25 |website=ProPublica}}

In 2023, 48% of newsrooms that applied to become members were accepted, with others not meeting membership standards like editorial independence, quality of journalism and transparency around who funds their work.{{Cite web |last=Scire |first=Sarah |date=September 5, 2024 |title=The Institute for Nonprofit News rejected more than half of newsrooms that applied for membership in 2023 |url=https://www.niemanlab.org/2024/09/the-institute-for-nonprofit-news-rejected-more-than-half-of-newsrooms-that-applied-for-membership-in-2023/ |access-date=2024-11-04 |website=Nieman Lab}} Most outlets, as of 2023, were focused at the state and local level.{{Cite web |date=June 10, 2024 |title="Neither feast nor famine": In 2023, nonprofit news continued to grow — but the audience picture is more complicated |url=https://www.niemanlab.org/2024/06/neither-feast-nor-famine-in-2023-nonprofit-news-continued-to-grow-but-the-audience-picture-is-more-complicated/?relatedstory |access-date=2024-11-04 |website=Nieman Lab}} A growing number of outlets also reported having volunteers play a significant role. As of February 2024, the median member had 4 staffers and $271,000 in revenue.{{Cite web |date=2024-02-14 |title=Hundreds of nonprofit newsrooms will get free US election results and graphics from the AP |url=https://apnews.com/article/ap-election-results-nonprofit-news-91a636c59a8e63be7c23772ac0f5df27 |access-date=2024-06-11 |website=AP News |language=en}}

=== Notable national or international members ===

= Regional or local =

WNYC (New York)
WHYY (Philadelphia)
KQED (San Francisco Bay Area)
WABE (Atlanta)
WFAE (Charlotte)
KNPR (Nevada)
CalMatters (California)
Texas Tribune (Texas)
Honolulu Civil Beat (Hawai'i)
New York Focus (New York)
Mississippi Today (Mississippi)
The Connecticut Mirror (Connecticut)
Chalkbeat

= Rural News Network =

As of 2024, the network reported having 80 INN-member newsrooms across 47 states.{{Cite web |title=Newsrooms |url=https://ruralnewsnetwork.org/newsroom/ |access-date=2024-06-15 |website=Rural News Network |language=en-US}} In 2021, The Associated Press reported on how INN was helping to form The Rural News Network, a collaboration that started with 60 rural nonprofit news organizations{{Cite web |last=Bauder |first=David |date=2021-11-18 |title=Independent websites team up to boost rural journalism |url=https://apnews.com/article/business-arts-and-entertainment-media-journalism-media-industry-347379aeb64268cbf3e0b18e7721e87c |access-date=2023-07-25 |website=AP News |language=en}} before it reported growing to 70 in 2022.{{Cite web |date=2022 |title=The State of Nonprofit News |url=https://inn.org/research/inn-index/inn-index-2023/ |access-date=2023-08-05 |website=Institute for Nonprofit News}}

Activities

As a 501(c)3 non-profit education organization, INN provides coordination, training, support services and financial sponsorship to its membership. It has published educational resources and training materials, including a whitepaper, "Audience Development and Distribution Strategies",Newton, Eric. [http://www.knightfoundation.org/blogs/knightblog/2012/3/14/more-recipes-success-nonprofit-news-ventures/ "More recipes for success of nonprofit news ventures"] Knight Foundation Blog, 14 March 2012.{{better source needed|date=October 2024}}

In 2011, INN joined the Thomson Reuters media platform.{{Cite web |date=2011-06-17 |title=Press Release: Investigative News Network joins the Reuters Media Platform |website=Reuters |url=http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/05/24/idUS136765+24-May-2011+HUG20110524 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110617065649/http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/05/24/idUS136765+24-May-2011+HUG20110524 |archive-date=2011-06-17 |access-date=2023-07-25}}

In 2011, INN also launched the INNovation fund with the Knight Foundation to support experimentalism in nonprofit journalism.{{Cite web |title=Investigative News Network » Encyclo » Nieman Journalism Lab |url=https://www.niemanlab.org/encyclo/investigative-news-network/ |access-date=2023-07-25 |website=Nieman Lab |language=en}}

In 2012, INN developed "Project Largo", a WordPress theme and CMS platform for news websites based on NPR's Project Argo that is used by member organizations in New Orleans, Connecticut, Maine, Iowa, Oklahoma and elsewhere.{{Cite web |last=Beatty |first=Steve |date=2013-02-15 |title=Now in our fourth year, The Lens has new website, office, funding |url=https://thelensnola.org/2013/02/15/now-in-our-fourth-year-the-lens-has-new-website-other-things-to-tell-you-about/ |access-date=2023-07-25 |website=The Lens |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |last=O'Donovan |first=Caroline |date=March 5, 2013 |title=Project Argo, meet Project Largo: Open source code finds new use in the sites of nonprofit news orgs |url=https://www.niemanlab.org/2013/03/project-argo-meet-project-largo-open-source-code-finds-new-use-in-the-sites-of-nonprofit-news-orgs/ |access-date=2023-07-25 |website=Nieman Lab}}

In 2013, INN's CEO Kevin Davis consulted on a nonprofit media working group for the Council on Foundations to produce a report titled "The IRS and Nonprofit Media." The report urges the IRS to update its approach to granting charity status to non-profit journalism organizations.{{Cite web |last=Waldman |first=Steven |date=March 4, 2013 |title=Opinion: IRS should allow news to evolve: Column |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2013/03/04/irs-media-innovation/1954249/ |access-date=2023-07-25 |website=USA TODAY |language=en-US}}

In 2013, INN member I-News merged with Rocky Mountain PBS and Denver-based NPR affiliate KUVO in what was a first of its kind merger between public broadcasters and INN members.{{cite web |last=Albert |first=Sarah |date=25 March 2013 |title=A Perfect Marriage? |url=http://www.ajr.org/Article.asp?id=5505 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130515225948/http://www.ajr.org/Article.asp?id=5505 |archive-date=May 15, 2013 |access-date=2013-09-04 |publisher=American Journalism Review}}

Since 2016, INN has operated NewsMatch, an initiative supported by a collective of national and regional foundations that match donations from individuals to nonprofit news organizations and that also provides fundraising training and resources to help newsrooms become more sustainable.{{Cite web |last=Scire |first=Sarah |date=April 5, 2023 |title=Local NewsMatch funders outpaced national donors for the first time in 2022 |url=https://www.niemanlab.org/2023/04/local-newsmatch-funders-outpaced-national-donors-for-the-first-time-in-2022/ |access-date=2024-11-02 |website=Nieman Lab}}

In 2021, The New York Times highlighted how communities where local newspapers were shuttering followed INN's playbook for how to start a nonprofit news organization, which it found were becoming more prevalent.{{Cite news |last=Seelye |first=Katharine Q. |date=2021-06-20 |title=When the Local Paper Shrank, These Journalists Started an Alternative |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/06/20/business/media/when-the-local-paper-shrank-these-journalists-started-an-alternative.html |access-date=2023-07-25 |issn=0362-4331}}

In November 2024, the Institute for Nonprofit News secured press credentials for all of its 475 member organizations in a partnership with the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press.