Impact

Journalism in the Public Interest

Impact has been at the core of ProPublica’s mission since we launched in 2008, and that’s true for our Local Reporting Network, too. What we mean by impact is that our investigative journalism seeks to do more than expose wrongdoing and injustice; we hope to spark real-world change.

We’ve written a white paper on the topic, and examples of how the journalism of our newsroom and our Local Reporting Network partners 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 stories that show the impact of journalism produced through the Local Reporting Network.

Featured Impact

A Hospital Was Accused of Racially Profiling Native American Women. Staff Said Administrators Impeded an Investigation.

Federal regulators are investigating a New Mexico hospital accused of racial profiling. This comes as hospital staff said administrators appeared to hide documents and discouraged cooperation with an initial state inquiry.

by Bryant Furlow, New Mexico In Depth

California Takes a First Step Toward Improving Its Failing County Jails

After an investigation by McClatchy and ProPublica, a state oversight agency is proposing tougher scrutiny and consequences for dangerous conditions in California’s county jails.

by Jason Pohl, The Sacramento Bee, and Ryan Gabrielson, ProPublica

Sex Offenders Were Becoming Cops. After Our Stories, Alaska’s Governor Wants That To End.

Gov. Mike Dunleavy’s proposed law comes after Anchorage Daily News and ProPublica found that dozens of rural Alaskan police officers had been hired despite criminal convictions.

by Kyle Hopkins, Anchorage Daily News

Latest Stories

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

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

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

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

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

Maine Proposes Major Staffing Increases for Assisted Living and Residential Care Facilities

The proposed regulations come after an 18-month investigation by The Maine Monitor and ProPublica found dozens of violations at the state’s largest facilities.

Rose Lundy, The Maine Monitor

After Mass Dismissals in Anchorage, Alaska Officials Step in to Help Prosecute Crimes

The state offered to send up to 10 prosecutors to Anchorage days after the Anchorage Daily News and ProPublica reported that hundreds of misdemeanor cases had been dropped since May because the city couldn’t hit court deadlines for speedy trials.

by Kyle Hopkins, Anchorage Daily News

The Federal Government Just Acknowledged the Harm Its Dams Have Caused Tribes. Here’s What It Left Out.

The Biden administration said officials historically gave “little, if any, consideration” to impacts on tribal fishing. But some sought deliberately to upend the harvest, according to documents obtained by ProPublica and Oregon Public Broadcasting.

by Tony Schick, Oregon Public Broadcasting

After Decades, Voters Finally OK Replacement for Crumbling Idaho School

The vote follows a yearlong investigation by the Idaho Statesman and ProPublica into how the state’s restrictive funding policies left students studying in deteriorating buildings across the state.

by Becca Savransky, Idaho Statesman

Mississippi Lawmakers Move to Limit the Jail Detentions of People Awaiting Mental Health Treatment

Supporters say the measure is a step forward in curbing the number of people jailed during civil commitment. But some local officials say the impact will be limited unless the state makes other changes, including adding psychiatric beds.

by Kate Royals, Mississippi Today

Chevron Will Pay Record Fines for Oil Spills in California

The penalties come after an investigation by The Desert Sun and ProPublica found that companies were profiting from illegal spills and California’s oversight of the industry was lax.

by Janet Wilson, The Desert Sun

Idaho Legislature Approves $2 Billion for Schools to Repair and Replace Aging Buildings

The funding was pledged by Gov. Brad Little after an Idaho Statesman and ProPublica investigation showed students learning in poor conditions. Educators say it’s only a start to fixing decades-old problems.

by Becca Savransky, Idaho Statesman

Virginia Lawmakers Approve Commission to Examine Universities’ Displacement of Black Communities

The groundbreaking commission, which was proposed in response to our “Uprooted” series, would consider compensation for dislodged property owners and their descendants. Whether Gov. Glenn Youngkin will sign the bill is unclear.

by Brandi Kellam

Lawmakers Could Limit When County Officials in Mississippi Can Jail People Awaiting Psychiatric Treatment

The legislation follows reporting by Mississippi Today and ProPublica showing that hundreds of people in the state are jailed every year while awaiting court-ordered treatment simply because public mental health facilities are full or too far away.

by Isabelle Taft, Mississippi Today

Idaho Legislature Takes Up Bill to Help School Districts Repair and Replace Buildings

The bill would provide $1.5 billion in new funding in a state where communities have struggled to pass bonds even as some students learn in freezing and overcrowded classrooms with leaky ceilings and discolored drinking water.

by Becca Savransky, Idaho Statesman

Task Force to Consider “Restorative Justice” for Black Families Uprooted by Virginia University’s Expansion

Spurred by our “Uprooted” series, a task force created by the city of Newport News and Christopher Newport University will reexamine decades of city and university records shedding light on a Black neighborhood’s destruction.

by Brandi Kellam, Virginia Center for Investigative Journalism at WHRO

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