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

A Tribal Lender Charging 800% APR Has Agreed to Stop Operating in Minnesota

The Lac du Flambeau tribe of Wisconsin settled a civil suit filed by Minnesota’s attorney general that alleged its triple-digit interest rates violated state caps. The tribe is under increasing legal pressure nationally over its lending practices.

by Megan O’Matz and Joel Jacobs

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

Illinois’ AG Said It’s Illegal for Schools to Use Police to Ticket Students. But His Office Told Only One District.

Despite the attorney general’s declaration that Illinois schools should stop using police to discipline students, officers statewide continue to ticket kids with costly fines. One lawmaker will again pursue legislation to end the practice.

by Jodi S. Cohen and Jennifer Smith Richards

Texas Lawmakers Push for New Exceptions to State’s Strict Abortion Ban After the Deaths of Two Women

The new legislation, prompted by ProPublica’s reporting, comes after 111 Texas doctors signed a public letter urging that the ban be changed because it “does not allow us as medical professionals to do our jobs.”

by Cassandra Jaramillo, Kavitha Surana, Lizzie Presser and Ziva Branstetter

Senator Slams Gun Industry’s “Invasive and Dangerous” Sharing of Customer Data With Political Operatives

In response to a ProPublica investigation, Sen. Richard Blumenthal demanded answers from the gun industry about its “covert program” to collect information on gun owners for political purposes.

by Corey G. Johnson

Courts Appoint Special Counsel to Oversee Reform of New York’s Troubled Guardianship System

Judicial leaders in New York created two new oversight positions as they work to reform the state’s guardianship system. The personnel additions follow a ProPublica investigation that spotlighted lax monitoring of court-appointed guardians.

by Jake Pearson

She Supports Trump’s Anti-Immigration Policies. Texas Incorrectly Flagged Her as a “Noncitizen” on Its Voting Rolls.

Mary Howard-Elley is the 10th U.S. citizen identified by ProPublica, The Texas Tribune and Votebeat whose registration was canceled after her citizenship was questioned. Her saga shows how tough it can be for eligible voters to get reinstated.

by Lexi Churchill, ProPublica and The Texas Tribune, James Barragán, The Texas Tribune, Vianna Davila, ProPublica and The Texas Tribune, and Natalia Contreras, Votebeat

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

Blinken to Israel: Allow More Aid Into Gaza or Face the Consequences

The stern letter from the secretary of state and the Pentagon comes amid the worst month for relief efforts since the war began. ProPublica previously reported Blinken had earlier rejected findings that Israel was deliberately blocking aid.

by Brett Murphy

Georgia Judge Lifts Six-Week Abortion Ban After Deaths of Two Women Who Couldn’t Access Care

Abortion clinics rushed to provide care after a judge rejected the state’s ban, an order that could soon be paused by a higher court. It’s only the latest development since ProPublica reported the deaths of Amber Nicole Thurman and Candi Miller.

by Ziva Branstetter

EPA Says It Plans to Withdraw Approval for Chevron’s Plastic-Based Fuels That Are Likely to Cause Cancer

The decision comes after a ProPublica investigation revealed that the EPA had found that one of the fuels had a cancer risk more than 1 million times higher than the agency usually considers acceptable.

by Sharon Lerner

ExxonMobil Accused of “Deceptively” Promoting Chemical Recycling as a Solution for the Plastics Crisis

The California attorney general’s lawsuit, which cites ProPublica reporting, alleges that products made with Exxon’s process contain only a small fraction of the recycled plastic that they claim to have.

by Lisa Song

Did a Georgia Hospital Break Federal Law When It Failed to Save Amber Thurman? A Senate Committee Chair Wants Answers.

Thurman died after waiting 20 hours for emergency care under the state’s abortion ban. Sen. Ron Wyden demanded records his committee could review to determine whether the hospital violated the law. “It’s not even a question,” one expert said.

by Ziva Branstetter

“A Real Overhaul Is Long Overdue”: Lawmaker Calls On State Leaders to Reform New York’s Beleaguered Guardianship System

A new bill asks Gov. Kathy Hochul and state legislators to overhaul New York’s broken guardianship system. It cites a ProPublica investigation that found the elderly and infirm living in dire conditions while under court-mandated oversight.

by Jake Pearson

Medical Examiner, Whose Testimony Helped Convict a Man in 2004 of Killing His Baby, Now Says He Was Wrong

The former Nashville medical examiner has recanted his testimony that Russell Maze’s son had died of shaken baby syndrome, joining the DA’s office in now saying a crime never occurred. Yet Maze could still spend the rest of his life in prison.

by Pamela Colloff

School District With Highest Student Arrest Rate in the Nation Agrees to Reform How It Disciplines Disabled Students

Following a ProPublica-Chicago Tribune investigation, the Garrison School in Illinois will change its disciplinary practices and provide services to those who missed class due to being arrested or sent to a seclusion room.

by Jennifer Smith Richards and Jodi S. Cohen

El Departamento de Justicia llega a un acuerdo con un Sheriff de Wisconsin para mejorar servicios para quienes no hablan inglés

Años después de que los agentes del Condado Dane culparan por error a un trabajador inmigrante por la muerte de su hijo en una granja lechera, la oficina del alguacil acordó reformas destinadas a garantizar que los residentes que hablan inglés limitado puedan obtener los servicios necesarios.

por Melissa Sanchez y Maryam Jameel

Judge Orders Guardianship Firm to Return Thousands It Took From an Elderly Woman for Services It Never Provided

New York Guardianship Services had billed Judith Zbiegniewicz $450 a month for court-ordered care, but a judge found the company provided “minimal services, if any” for years, including at the height of the coronavirus pandemic.

by Jake Pearson

DOJ Reaches Agreement With Wisconsin Sheriff’s Office to Improve Services for People Who Don’t Speak English

Years after deputies in Dane County, Wisconsin, mistakenly blamed an immigrant worker for his son’s death on a dairy farm, the sheriff’s office has agreed to reforms meant to ensure that residents who speak limited English can get needed services.

by Melissa Sanchez and Maryam Jameel

Biden EPA Rejects Plastics Industry’s Fuzzy Math That Misleads Customers About Recycled Content

The plastics industry uses a controversial accounting method to inflate the recycled content it advertises in products. A new EPA policy won’t allow it for any products it endorses as a “Safer Choice.”

by Lisa Song

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