About CIR



About CIR

Founded in 1977, the Center for Investigative Reporting is the nation's oldest nonprofit investigative news organization, producing multimedia reporting that has impact and is relevant to people's lives. Building on our long track record of award-winning print, broadcast and web reporting, CIR is now seeking to help lead the way in transforming journalism for the 21st century. 

We are living in an age of upheaval, institutional collapse, and historic unforeseen change. And journalism is not immune. The only “business” protected by the Constitution, the business of informing the public, has been eviscerated in recent years. The role that journalism plays in a functioning democracy—informing the public and holding the powerful accountable—is at serious risk. Major issues affecting the very fabric of this nation and the world go uninvestigated. As we struggle to find solutions to two wars, climate change, immigration, a recession, and myriad other global issues, a thriving media is more important than ever.

CIR is working to ensure that high-quality, credible, unique journalism does not die, but flourishes. Our innovative new model relies on in-depth collaboration with other news organizations, journalists, public policy organizations and universities, and fully exploits new storytelling technologies, to provide citizens—local and global—with critical, actionable information that impacts their lives. Important to this model is our search for new revenue streams that can help sustain high-quality journalism in a digital age.

CIR’s newest venture is California Watch, a major new reporting initiative to produce in-depth, high impact multimedia journalism specific to California and to engage the public on issues of critical importance to the state.

How to Work with CIR:

In addition to CIR's California-based editorial staff, we work with a nationwide cadre of freelance reporters and producers and those on leave from other media outlets. Many of CIR's investigations are generated by our own staff; others are brought to us by freelancers.

Journalism demands a certain flexibility to follow a story where it leads, but as a small news organization with limited resources, CIR attempts to ferret out the most promising investigations. Generally, stories deserving investment should: reflect CIR's core mission by offering the strong potential to reveal injustice or abuse of power; fall under one of our reporting beats, currently social justice, environment and international reporting; add new information, a fresh angle or depth of reporting not found in other mainstream coverage; have an indication of interest from a prospective news outlet; and originate from reporters or producers with demonstrated skills and experience.

Most new projects require fundraising before they can begin. However, at times we are able to make small investments in promising stories at their early stages (making direct payment to the reporter for time and expenses). If that initial reporting proves fruitful, we may help market it to news outlets and provide editing, fact-checking and legal review.

The Dick Goldensohn Fund for International Investigative Reporting
Currently, we are providing small grants to assist in international reporting projects through The Dick Goldensohn Fund. Typical grants are a few thousand dollars, and are generally used to help defray travel and research costs.

The Henry Demarest Lloyd Investigative Fund
Each year the Lloyd Fund provides direct support (typically ranging from $1,000-$5,000) for 2-4 projects that offer strong potential for impact. Applications are due March 31st.

CIR Awards:

Alfred I. du Pont-Colombia University Silver Baton
American Bar Association Certificate of Merit
Best Censored Story Award
The Clarion Award
Education Writers Association Award
Emmy Award
The George Polk Award
Investigative Reporters and Editors Award
James Madison Freedom of Information Award
National Magazine Award for Reporting Excellence
National Press Club Award
People for the American Way First Amendment Award
Society of Environmental Journalists Award
Society of Professional Journalists’ Sigma Delta Chi Award

CIR in the News:

Investigative reporting hard hit by media cutbacks
PBS NewsHour | April 20, 2009

Spare change for news
Salon.com | April 13, 2009

Phil Bronstein talks about nonprofit news on The Colbert Report
The Colbert Report | April 9, 2009

Rays of hope
American Journalism Review | April/May 2008

San Francisco center keeps muckraking alive
San Francisco Chronicle | October 24, 2002

Contact Us:

Center for Investigative Reporting
2927 Newbury St., Suite A
Berkeley, California 94703
T: 510.809.3160
F: 510.849.1813
center@cironline.org