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Frequently Asked QuestionsWhat kinds of stories do you fund? We seek out reporting on important stories likely to be bypassed by the mainstream media and stories with the potential to have social impact. Some Investigative Fund stories have sparked resignations of public officials; others have triggered police investigations, Congressional hearings or federal legislation. Still others have changed the debate around a key issue or exposed previously hidden forms of abuse and exploitation. Stories that fill a gap in mainstream reporting or that have the potential for impact will be the strongest contenders for grants. What makes a story "investigative"? By investigative we mean enterprise reporting — digging up stories other reporters haven't found yet or significantly advancing stories that have been covered, but not in depth. Proposals for spot news coverage or political analysis aren't for us. Who can apply? Assigning editors may query us on behalf of reporters. Reporters may also query us directly. Our grants typically go to the reporter or producer to cover direct costs associated with an investigative project, though we occasionally make grants to nonprofit publications or to journalism graduate programs to support team-reported stories. We meet every two to four weeks, or as needed, to review proposals. Our decision-making process is designed to be informal and supportive. If a project has potential but we have questions about your reporting plan or budget request, we'll contact you to ask for revisions. How big are your typical grants? Our grants typically range from $500 to $10,000, and are based on the submission of a detailed budget to justify those costs. Our grants are not designed to replace fees at the host outlet; we expect each outlet to pay an Investigative Fund grantee at least its standard fee. Budget requests should include only direct costs or compensation for reporting time that exceed compensation and reimbursements from the host outlet. Investigative Fund grants are usually paid out in two installments. Do you help place stories? We prefer that reporters already have interest from an assigning editor when they query us, but we do often work with reporters to find an outlet for their stories. Do you fund stories that won't run in The Nation? Yes. In fact, the majority of Investigative Fund stories appear in other outlets. While The Nation Institute is loosely affiliated with The Nation magazine, we are financially and editorially independent of each other. Our mission is to promote independent journalism in a wide variety of public, independent and commercial media. Do you only fund stories for print, or do you also make grants for investigations destined for radio, video, film and on-line outlets? We make grants for investigative reporting in any medium. I am a reporter based outside of the United States. May I apply for a grant? Yes, absolutely. But our grants go to stories that will appear in U.S. media outlets. That said, we are quite open to co-publishing arrangements in which a story appears both in a U.S. and a foreign outlet. Besides making grants, what role do you play? Our editors play a wide variety of roles depending on the host outlet. Sometimes we simply issue a travel grant. Sometimes we do a preliminary edit on a story, in consultation with the assigning editor at the host outlet. When necessary, we also provide fact checking and legal vetting in-house. In some cases, we have sued in support of reporters' FOIA requests. When Investigative Fund stories appear, we assist with publicity work and outreach to communities of interest to increase each story's impact. What does the reporter have to promise in return? We require that you do the reporting outlined in your proposal, and that any significant editorial changes in direction or change in the host outlet be made in consultation with our editors. We also require that you work with us to negotiate an appropriate credit line for the Investigative Fund in the host outlet. If the Investigative Fund turns down my proposal, where else can I go for funding? Here's a partial list of alternatives:
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The Great American StickupHow Reagan Republicans and Clinton Democrats Enriched Wall Street While Mugging Main Street
"One of the best reporters of our time."—Joan Didion In The Great American Stickup, celebrated journalist Robert Scheer uncovers the hidden story behind one of the greatest financial crimes of our time: the Wall Street financial crash of 2008 and the consequent global recession. Scheer goes back to Washington, D.C., a veritable crime scene, beginning in the 1980s, where the captains of the finance industry, their lobbyists and allies among leading politicians destroyed an American regulatory system that had been functioning effectively since the era of the New Deal. Check out Scheer's book tour! MoreMarfa Dialogues/Diálogos en Marfa: Politics and Culture of the Borderundef 0 | Marfa, Texas See acclaimed Nation Books authors Charles Bowden and Mark Danner speak at Marfa Dialogues: Politics and Culture of the Border, three days of art, film, music, and literature. Presented by Ballroom Marfa and The Washington Spectator, in collaboration with The Big Bend Sentinel, Marfa Public Radio and Marfa Book Company.
September 9 - October 22
September 16
| 5:30 pm
September 18
| 1 pm
September 24 - October 5
October 5
| 7 pm
October 23 - January 16
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