Many news outlets have the infrastructure and personnel to do investigative reporting, but operating costs can be very high at a time when revenue is limited. Using that capacity to perform customized research for paying clients could help fund core investigative work, Online Journalism Review’s David Westphal writes.
While the owners of Britain's The Economist have done specialized investigative work for corporate clients since the 1940s, few news companies in the United States have followed suit, Westphal notes, with several recent exceptions:
*GlobalPost, an international news site, offers paid members access to its reporters and custom reporting by staff and freelance journalists for additional fees.
*New England Center for Investigative Reporting uses freelancers to do contract research.
*SNS Global, founded by a pair of former investigative journalists for the Wall Street Journal, does a range of paid research for clients.
However, Texas Watchdog owner Trent Seibert told Westphal he has concerns about ethical conflicts between confidential contract work and media transparency. "Where would you draw the line?" he asks.
Post new comment