Impact

Journalism in the Public Interest

Impact has been at the core of ProPublica’s mission since we launched in 2008, and it remains the principal yardstick for our success today. Our investigative journalism does more than expose wrongdoing and injustice; we intend for it to spark real-world change.

We’ve written a whole white paper on the topic, and examples of how our stories have produced such change — from the resignation of corrupt officials to the passage of new laws — are compiled in our annual reports. On this page, you’ll find our reporting on the impact of our work.

Featured Impact

The Supreme Court Has Adopted a Conduct Code, but Who Will Enforce It?

Experts say it is unclear if the new rules, which come after reporting by ProPublica and others revealed that justices had repeatedly failed to disclose gifts and travel from wealthy donors, would address the issues raised by the recent revelations.

by Joshua Kaplan, Justin Elliott, Brett Murphy and Alex Mierjeski

Dozens of Museums and Universities Pledge to Return Native American Remains. Few Have Funded the Effort.

Reporting from nearly 50 local newsrooms, based on ProPublica’s “Repatriation Project,” has sparked a wave of apologies and commitment to returning ancestral remains. But without funding for the work tribal nations could still face empty promises.

by Logan Jaffe, Mary Hudetz and Ash Ngu

Texas Legislature Closes Gun Background Check Loophole

State lawmakers passed a bill requiring courts to report involuntary mental health hospitalizations of juveniles for inclusion in the federal gun background check system. The law closes a gap revealed by ProPublica and The Texas Tribune in 2022.

by Jeremy Schwartz

Legislation to Support Stillbirth Prevention Heads to House After Unanimous Senate Approval

Following ProPublica’s reporting on the nation’s stillbirth crisis, a bipartisan group of senators reintroduced a bill to fund prevention. After the Senate passed the legislation unanimously in September, the House is expected to take it up next.

by Duaa Eldeib

More Impact

Alaska Judge Vows to Reduce Trial Delays: “We Must, and We Will, Improve”

Chief Justice Susan M. Carney’s comments follow ProPublica and Anchorage Daily News reporting that found the median time to resolve the most serious felonies in Alaska was three years in 2023 — triple the time it took a decade before.

by Kyle Hopkins, Anchorage Daily News

A New Mexico District Says It’s Reduced Harsh Discipline of Native Students. But the Data Provided Is Incomplete.

Following an investigation by New Mexico In Depth and ProPublica, Gallup-McKinley County says it cut down on long-term suspensions for Indigenous children and implemented policy reforms. But the state has not made it easy to verify these claims.

by Bryant Furlow, New Mexico In Depth

Tennessee Lawmakers Push to Change How the State Disarms Dangerous People to Better Protect Domestic Violence Victims

The GOP-sponsored bill would provide more transparency when a court orders someone to give up their firearms. The move follows WPLN and ProPublica reporting that found the state’s lax gun laws allow weapons to remain in the hands of domestic abusers.

by Paige Pfleger, WPLN/Nashville Public Radio

Utah Man Pleads Guilty to Sexually Abusing Patients “Using His Position as a Therapist”

The plea comes after an investigation by The Salt Lake Tribune and ProPublica about the former therapist, who built a reputation as a specialist for struggling gay Latter-day Saints men.

by Jessica Schreifels, The Salt Lake Tribune

Washington Governor Orders Team to Study Data Centers’ Impact on Energy Use, Job Creation and Tax Revenue

Last year, The Seattle Times and ProPublica reported on how the state created a massive tax break for data centers, encouraging the growth of an industry whose energy use conflicts with a goal for utilities to go carbon neutral by 2030.

by Lulu Ramadan and Sydney Brownstone, The Seattle Times

Hoping to “Trump Proof” Students’ Civil Rights, Illinois Lawmakers Aim to End Police Ticketing at School

The latest version of a bill spurred by a 2022 ProPublica-Chicago Tribune investigation would explicitly prevent police from ticketing students for violations such as vaping or truancy, and require districts to track and disclose police activity.

by Jodi S. Cohen and Jennifer Smith Richards

A Defense Department Directive to Expand Access to Military Courts Falls Short of Federal Law’s Requirements

The guidance comes more than two years after ProPublica sued the Navy over its failure to provide court records. Legal experts say it doesn’t go far enough to increase transparency in military courts.

by Ziva Branstetter

Insurers Failed to Comply With Mental Health Coverage Law, Department of Labor Report Finds

The probe found widespread noncompliance and violations of federal law in how health plans and insurers cover mental health care, echoing the findings of a recent ProPublica investigation.

by Duaa Eldeib, Maya Miller, Annie Waldman and Max Blau

Lawmakers in at Least Seven States Seek Expanded Abortion Access

Some of the bills were filed in direct response to ProPublica’s reporting on the fatal consequences of abortion bans.

by Ziva Branstetter and Cassandra Jaramillo

Hydroelectric Dams on Oregon’s Willamette River Kill Salmon. Congress Says It’s Time to Consider Shutting Them Down.

The newly signed legislation follows reporting from Oregon Public Broadcasting and ProPublica that underscored the risks and costs associated with a plan to migrate salmon past hydroelectric dams using a giant fish collector and tanker trucks.

by Tony Schick, Oregon Public Broadcasting

New York Attorney General Launches Investigation of Guardianship Providers

Investigators for the state’s top law enforcement official have begun probing the practices of several organizations that serve as guardians to hundreds of New York’s most vulnerable residents. The inquiry follows a ProPublica investigation.

by Jake Pearson

El DMV y los principales legisladores de Connecticut prometen revisar las leyes de remolque

Los planes para reformar las leyes de remolque en la sesión legislativa de este año siguen a una investigación de The Connecticut Mirror y ProPublica que descubrió que los remolcadores pueden vender los autos tan solo 15 días después de recogerlos.

por Ginny Monk y Dave Altimari, The Connecticut Mirror

Justice Department Sues Six of the Nation’s Largest Landlords in Effort to Stop Alleged Price-Fixing in Rental Markets

Federal prosecutors allege that the landlords have used RealPage pricing software to collude and artificially raise rents. The legal action is the latest development stemming from a 2022 ProPublica investigation.

by Heather Vogell

Feds Fine Baker College $2.5 Million for Deceptive Marketing That Left Students With Debts and Regrets

A 2022 investigation detailed how the once-growing Michigan school built its reputation on slick advertising despite low graduation rates and leaving many students burdened with heavy debt.

by Anna Clark, ProPublica, and David Jesse, The Chronicle of Higher Education

Connecticut DMV and Top Lawmakers Vow to Review Towing Laws

The plans to reform towing laws in this year’s legislative session follow a Connecticut Mirror and ProPublica investigation that found people’s cars can be sold just 15 days after they’re towed.

by Ginny Monk and Dave Altimari, The Connecticut Mirror

Microsoft Bundling Practices Focus of Federal Antitrust Probe

The Federal Trade Commission has demanded information from Microsoft and interviewed competitors as the agency’s antitrust investigation heats up. The probe follows ProPublica reporting on how the company skirted and potentially violated federal law.

by Renee Dudley

Thailand Bans Advertising for Toddler Milk

With new rules, Thailand joins three dozen countries that have taken steps to regulate toddler milk ads. The action follows a ProPublica investigation that detailed how the U.S. helped the formula industry fight regulation in 2017.

by Heather Vogell

Report: Hospitals Rarely Advise Doctors on How to Treat Patients Under Abortion Bans

Doctors described hospital lawyers who “refused to meet” with them for months, were hard to reach during “life or death” situations and offered little help beyond “regurgitating” the law, according to a Senate Finance Committee report.

by Kavitha Surana

U.S. Senator Urges EPA to Release “Science-Based” Report on Formaldehyde Health Risks

Citing a ProPublica investigation that found formaldehyde causes far more cancer than any other toxic air pollutant, Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., said in a letter that “the agency has an obligation to protect the public from the chemical.”

by Sharon Lerner

As the Olympics Approach, Los Angeles Considers Crackdown on Illegal Vacation Rentals

City officials are proposing stricter enforcement, higher fines and new technology in part to prevent rent-controlled apartments from being listed on Airbnb and Booking.com, the subject of a Capital & Main and ProPublica investigation.

by Robin Urevich, Capital & Main

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