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

DOJ Files Antitrust Suit Against RealPage, Maker of Rent-Setting Algorithm

The lawsuit, which comes in the wake of a ProPublica investigation into the Texas company, accuses RealPage of taking part in an illegal price-fixing scheme to reduce competition among landlords to boost prices — and profits.

by Heather Vogell

Uvalde City Officials Release Shooting Records That Provide New Details, Reaffirm Previous Reporting

The release is the first major disclosure of documents by a government agency involved in the flawed response to the deadliest school shooting in Texas history, and it comes after a yearslong legal battle involving nearly two dozen news outlets.

by Lomi Kriel and Lexi Churchill, ProPublica and The Texas Tribune, and Zach Despart, Terri Langford and Kayla Guo, The Texas Tribune

New York Lawmakers Call for Police Commissioner to Be Stripped of Power to Bury Brutality Cases

The City Council members’ call for reform comes after a ProPublica investigation revealed that NYPD Commissioner Edward Caban had repeatedly short-circuited disciplinary cases against officers accused of abuse.

by Eric Umansky

People Are Still Being Swallowed by Storm Drains. One U.S. Agency Is Pushing for Safety Measures.

A new federal rule requires that local officials in flood-prone areas consider safety features for drain openings. In 2021, ProPublica reported that uncovered storm drains were responsible for at least three dozen deaths over six years.

by Topher Sanders

Maryland Is on Track to Process a Nearly 50-Year-Old Backlog of Rape Kits

A new law extends the state’s sexual assault evidence protections to cover DNA samples. But getting justice in hundreds of cold cases will require more than just testing, survivors say.

by Catherine Rentz

West Texas Pastor Who Used Illegal Donations From Churches to Campaign for Office Is Fined $3,500

Fines issued to Scott Beard of Abilene’s Fountaingate Fellowship and two pastors follow reporting from ProPublica and The Texas Tribune that revealed the churches donated to his campaign for local office despite state and federal prohibitions.

by Jessica Priest

NYPD Restores Thousands of Missing Records but Removes Case Numbers From Its Discipline Database

The department restored more than 2,000 missing discipline records to its public database of uniformed officers, weeks after ProPublica revealed data reliability issues. But it also removed case numbers, making future oversight more difficult.

by Sergio Hernandez

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

Three States Have Warned Against Sending Students to an Unregulated Boarding School for Youth With Autism

After visiting Shrub Oak International School, officials from Connecticut, Washington and Massachusetts have advised districts of troubling conditions at the school where a ProPublica investigation uncovered reports of abuse and neglect.

by Jennifer Smith Richards and Jodi S. Cohen

Microsoft President Grilled by Congress Over Cybersecurity Failures

The criticism from members of the House Homeland Security Committee came in response to a ProPublica investigation that found Microsoft repeatedly rebuffed an engineer’s warnings that a product flaw had left millions of users vulnerable to attack.

by Renee Dudley

Harlan Crow Provided Clarence Thomas at Least 3 Previously Undisclosed Private Jet Trips, Senate Probe Finds

The Supreme Court justice flew to Montana and other destinations on the billionaire GOP donor’s dime. Crow’s lawyer revealed these flights to the Senate Judiciary Committee, whose ongoing investigation was sparked by ProPublica’s reporting.

by Justin Elliott, Joshua Kaplan and Alex Mierjeski

Bill to Fund Stillbirth Prevention and Research Passes Congress

The bill expands the use of existing federal money to be used to fight stillbirths. Lawmakers cited ProPublica’s reporting on the issue as key to adding urgency and building support for the measure.

by Duaa Eldeib

Justice Clarence Thomas Acknowledges He Should Have Disclosed Free Trips From Billionaire Donor

The trips include vacations in Indonesia and at the exclusive, men’s-only Bohemian Grove retreat, which were first reported by ProPublica last year.

by Joshua Kaplan, Justin Elliott and Alex Mierjeski

An Illinois School District’s Reliance on Police to Ticket Students Is Discriminatory, Civil Rights Complaint Says

Two civil rights groups are asking the U.S. Department of Education to force Rockford Public Schools, the third-largest district in Illinois, to stop discriminatory discipline involving police.

by Jennifer Smith Richards and Jodi S. Cohen

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

Ticketed at School as a Teen, a Young Black Woman Is Suing an Illinois City for Violating Her Civil Rights

It took four years and a jury trial for Amara Harris to beat the ticket that accused her of stealing another girl’s AirPods. Now she’s heading back to court in the hope of stopping schools from using police to discipline students.

by Jodi S. Cohen and Jennifer Smith Richards

Minnesota AG Sues Contract-for-Deed Seller Who Allegedly Targeted Muslim Community

The complaint, which alleges violations of lending law and religious discrimination, follows a ProPublica and Sahan Journal investigation.

by Jessica Lussenhop

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

More States Are Allowing Child Support Payments to Reach Children

Since a ProPublica investigation found that states were seizing child support headed to families as reimbursement for the mother having received welfare, at least six states have changed their policies. Others are debating doing the same.

by Eli Hager

Sports Team Owners Face New Scrutiny From IRS Over Tax Avoidance

A new campaign by the tax agency comes after ProPublica revealed how billionaires generate what can be hundreds of millions in tax savings by purchasing professional sports teams.

by Robert Faturechi, Ellis Simani and Justin Elliott

Latest Stories from ProPublica

Why It’s So Hard to Find a Therapist Who Takes Insurance

DOJ Files Antitrust Suit Against RealPage, Maker of Rent-Setting Algorithm

A 10-Year-Old Pointed a Finger Gun. The Principal Kicked Him Out of His Tennessee School for a Year.

This College’s 38-Acre Land Donation to a Christian School Drew Little Attention. Experts Say It Appears to Violate the Law.