Howard Kurtz

April 19, 2010, Washington Post — There was a time when most major journalistic investigations were carried out by newspapers, when revenue was abundant and "I-teams" were all the rage. But with nearly all papers hurt by cutbacks and some in bankruptcy, ambitions have often been downsized. And that has left a vacuum for ventures that don't have to worry about Wall Street expectations.

Two years after setting up shop in lower Manhattan, ProPublica has earned substantial respect and a top-tier list of partners. The nonprofit has done nine stories with The Washington Post, 27 with the Los Angeles Times, eight with USA Today, six with the Chicago Tribune, six others with the New York Times, 13 with Politico and 10 with the Huffington Post. Other partners have included ABC, CNN, CNBC, "60 Minutes," Newsweek, Salon, Slate and PBS's "Frontline."