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Nike’s Gold Standard

Testing Nike’s Corporate Responsibility Claims

In 2016, Nike co-founder Phil Knight wrote that the shoe maker had risen above a sweatshop scandal of the 1990s, with one person venturing that the company had become the “gold standard” for responsible manufacturing. Has reality matched the rhetoric?

7 stories published since 2024

How Trump’s Tariffs Could Affect Nike and Its Factory Workers

by Matthew Kish, The Oregonian/OregonLive,

Decades After Nike Promised Sweatshop Reforms, Workers in This Factory Were Still Fainting

by Rob Davis,

Nike Says Its Factory Workers Earn Nearly Double the Minimum Wage. At This Cambodian Factory, 1% Made That Much.

by Rob Davis, photography by Sarahbeth Maney,

We Reported on Nike’s Extensive Use of Private Jets. The Company Just Made It Harder to Track Them.

by Rob Davis, ProPublica, and Matthew Kish, The Oregonian/OregonLive,

Nike Shareholders Want to Force Actions on Environmental and Worker Protections. They Face Long Odds.

by Rob Davis, ProPublica, and Matthew Kish, The Oregonian/OregonLive,

After Nike Leaders Promised Climate Action, Their Corporate Jets Kept Flying — and Polluting

by Rob Davis, Agnel Philip and Alex Mierjeski, ProPublica, and Matthew Kish, The Oregonian/OregonLive,

Nike Pledged to Shrink Its Carbon Footprint. It Just Slashed the Staff Charged With Making That Happen.

by Rob Davis, ProPublica, and Matthew Kish, The Oregonian/OregonLive,

What We’re Watching

During Donald Trump’s second presidency, ProPublica will focus on the areas most in need of scrutiny. Here are some of the issues our reporters will be watching — and how to get in touch with them securely.

Learn more about our reporting team. We will continue to share our areas of interest as the news develops.

Photo of Sharon Lerner
Sharon Lerner

I cover health and the environment and the agencies that govern them, including the Environmental Protection Agency.

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Andy Kroll

I cover justice and the rule of law, including the Justice Department, U.S. attorneys and the courts.

Photo of Melissa Sanchez
Melissa Sanchez

I report on immigration and labor, and I am based in Chicago.

Photo of Jesse Coburn
Jesse Coburn

I cover housing and transportation, including the companies working in those fields and the regulators overseeing them.

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