The mission of The Center for Investigative Reporting is to engage and empower the public through investigative journalism and groundbreaking storytelling in order to spark action, improve lives and protect our democracy.
Founded in 1977 as the nation’s first nonprofit investigative journalism organization, we are celebrating our 40th anniversary this year. During that time, we have developed a reputation for being among the most innovative, credible and relevant media organizations in the country. Reveal – our website, public radio program, podcast and social media platform – is where we publish our multiplatform work.
Our award-winning journalists hold the powerful accountable and reveal government fraud and waste of taxpayer funds, human rights violations, environmental degradation and threats to public safety. We consistently shine a bright light on injustice and protect the most vulnerable in our society.
From the San Francisco Bay Area epicenter of technological and creative innovation, our reporting ignites real-world change as evidenced by civil and criminal investigations, new laws and policies, the instigation of public discourse and solutions-oriented community action.
CIR is nationally respected for setting the highest journalistic standards, and for our signature approach to investigative reporting and collaboration. We partner with numerous other media organizations, prioritize impact over exclusivity, engage with the public and track results. To reach a broad and diverse audience worldwide, we publish our stories online, as well as for print, television, radio/audio, video and live events.
With PRX, CIR co-produces the nationally distributed “Reveal” radio show and podcast. “Reveal” features CIR’s reporting, as well as stories from public radio stations and a wide range of media partners, both nonprofit and commercial.
Our work has been recognized for its excellence, groundbreaking creativity and impact. Recent awards include: Emmy Awards, a George Foster Peabody Award, a Military Reporters and Editors Award, a Barlett & Steele Gold Award for investigative business journalism, Alfred I. DuPont-Columbia University Awards, a George Polk Award, IRE Awards for multiplatform journalism and an Edward R. Murrow Award for investigative reporting. We were a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in 2012 and 2013 and a recipient of the 2012 MacArthur Award for Creative and Effective Institutions.
